Suspending the training of delegated examiners for HGV driving tests does makes sense in the short term, but there must also be a long-term strategy.
That is the message from the FTA in response to the announcement by the DVSA.
The delegated examiner scheme allows staff from private companies to be accredited to deliver the HGV or PCV licence acquisition test, but the DVSA now believes that the most efficient way of improving the amount of tests that are carried out would be training more of its own examiners.
The DVSA have written to all delegated examiner candidates who are booked in to be trained at the DVSA’s training facilities in Cardington this year, notifying them that their training course has been cancelled.
The FTA’s head of licensing policy and compliance information, James Firth, responded by saying:
“While industry wants a move towards the greater flexibility of private operators having staff accredited to examine the tests, DVSA figures show that even the most efficient delegated examiners are delivering fewer than 200 tests each year, while DVSA’s own examiners are doing around 800. With the constraints on DVSA’s resources to train examiners, this move makes sense at the moment.”
DVSA is anticipating a significant upturn in the number of vocational tests taking place next year, and FTA had in the past questioned whether the agency’s capacity to deliver vocational tests could be at danger of constraining any response to the driver shortage crisis.
“The delegated examiner process must be reformed by the time this temporary measure is lifted, allowing delegated examiners to examine tests of drivers from different companies. This will allow the flexibility for delegated examiners to reach the efficiency levels of DVSA examiners.” Continued James Firth.
