DRIVING STANDARDS
AGENCY News Release (DSA 36/08) issued by The Government News
Network on 12 August 2008
Legislation
regarding the use of heavier vehicles for driving tests has been
delayed until September 30, 2013. British Ministers have decided
to take up this option to allow driving test candidates to
continue to use vehicles that meet current weight standards until
that date.
The Driving Standards Agency (DSA), who are responsible for
bringing in the new requirements, have been working with key
stakeholders to identify how test candidates will be able to
comply with the new standards.
Further information can be found on the DSA website @ http://www.dsa.gov.uk about test
vehicle requirements.
Background
In 2000 the European Commission introduced revised minimum
standards for vehicles used for practical driving tests - commonly
known as Minimum Test Vehicles (MTVs). One requirement is that
vehicles used for test must meet a minimum 'real weight'
requirement on the day that they present for test. In some cases
this may involve a load being carried on the vehicle to meet the
weight requirement.
Member States were originally required to implement this part of
the Directive by October 11, 2010, and DSA conducted a public
consultation on that basis. In the response to consultation
report, Ministers stated that GB would implement the new
requirements by that date.
Following representations by Member States, the legislation was
amended under the comitology procedure (a form of delegated
decision-making) so as to require implementation by 2013.
It is Government policy not to transpose EU Directives earlier
than required and Ministers have agreed it would be sensible to
revisit the original ministerial decision and opt to implement the
revised MTV requirements in 2013 for GB.
Northern Ireland is also planning to take advantage of the more
relaxed timetable.
Notes to Editor:
1. The Driving Standards Agency (DSA) is an executive agency * of
the Department for Transport.
2. The DSA's vision is "Safe Driving for Life"
with an overall mission to contribute towards a Government target
of achieving a 40% reduction in riders and drivers killed or
seriously injured in road accidents, in the age group up to 24
years, by 2010.
3. Current information on road casualties is available from the
Department for Transport website: http://www.dft.gov.uk
4. The Agency's aim is to promote road safety through
setting standards for drivers, riders and trainers, testing
drivers and riders fairly and efficiently, maintaining the
registers of Approved Driving Instructors, Large Goods Vehicle
Instructors, Fleet Trainers, Driving Instructor Trainers and Post
Test Motorcycle Trainers, supervising Compulsory Basic Training
for learner motorcyclists and driver education and the provision
of learning resources.
5. DSA is a trading fund * with an expected turnover of around
£199 million for the year 2008/9, fully funded by fee income and
revenue from its activities.
6. DSA employs over 2,700 staff, of which some 2,000 are driving
examiners based at over 400 test centres across mainland Great
Britain. In 2007/2008 the Agency conducted 1.8 million practical
tests for car drivers, over 95,000 vocational tests and 94,000
motorcycle rider tests. A total of 1.7 million theory tests were
carried out at 158 centres. At the end of the year there were
around 43,600 people on the Register of Approved Driving Instructors.
7. DSA was one of the first Government Agencies to introduce an 'online'
8. booking service. Candidates can book and manage their theory
and practical test appointments on line at http://www.direct.gov.uk/drivingtest
* Executive agency:
An executive agency is semi-detached from its parent department
and manages its own budget with freedom from ad hoc, day to day
intervention and much of central, government-wide regulation. They
are run under the organisation and direction of a Chief Executive
recruited through open competition. An executive agency has
accountability for the performance of specific operational tasks
as a corporate unit, including focused performance targets set by
the parent department and personal accountability of the chief
executive for performance.
* Trading Fund:
A trading fund is a means of financing trading activities
undertaken by Government that would previously have been financed
by annual appropriation from Parliament. A trading fund permits
the establishment of a self-accounting unit that remains under the
control and management of Ministers and accountable to Parliament
through Ministers, but has greater freedom to manage its financial
affairs. Effectively that means the trading fund body can use its
income to settle its liabilities and retain year-end cash balances.
Establishing the trading fund does not alter the Agency's
constitutional position and it remains part of the Department for Transport.