Despite the complete cock up the DSA have made of implementing the 2nd European Licensing Directive and the findings of the Transport Select Committee, published last month, which basically agree that the new test centres, swerve manoevre etc were ill thought out and not in the spirit intended by the EU, they are going ahead anyway with implementing the 3rd European Licencing Directive without making any changes to a system that doesn’t work.

So basically they are high handedly saying we’re the DSA, we’re right, you’re wrong and so we’ll do what WE want!

The DSA have ignored the EU’s recommendation for training as well as testing under the new directive and calls from the motorcycle industry to have more training. Instead they only plan to have several tests at various ages and motorcycle engine capacity.

The response from MAG is:
“that the DSA have ignored the consultation responses and clearly had decided what they were doing before spending all the money on the futile consultation exercise. As an agency they are clearly demonstrating that improving driving standards is the last thing they care about and that raising revenue is the first. The EU directive offers Nation States the option of improving training and there is surely no one sane in the land who doesn’t think training and education works. More annoyingly, the DSA will no doubt blame the EU for the disastrous outcome that awaits”

MCI says that the proposed measures still fall short of what is needed to make a real improvement to motorcycle safety. Although Government proposals include many industry recommendations, the MCI believes that the consultation was flawed and not fit for purpose.

Although MCI recognises that the testing option will be introduced in 2013, it is calling on the DSA to move, in the longer term, towards adopting progressive training as the correct way to improve rider safety. The MCI is recommending that this should include embedded progressive training processes that are delivered to a common standard, quality controlled and properly governed.

Therefore the industry is calling for the progressive training option to be included in the amendment to the Road Traffic Act, alongside the necessary testing regulations and not excluded from this critical piece of legislation. This would be allowed under EU regulations.

Steve Kenward, MCI’s CEO commented; “Training providers have been sceptical about the DSA’s ability to introduce a progressive training scheme and the way the DSA presented their view of the cost of the training has created a lack of confidence in its commercial viability. Indeed, the DSA have proved to be inflexible on the whole issue of training versus testing.

Motorbikin comment: It’s clear that these consultations achieve nothing if Government departments can ignore any recommendations. The Driving STANDARDS Agency should be about improving rider standards, how does more testing without training achieve that? All it achieves is more revenue for the DSA (the Government) whilst cutting out the real source of improvements in rider standards and safety – the trainers.

Now that the general election date has been announced don’t forget that you will have prospective candidates and their representatives knocking at your door hoping to get your vote, let’s see what they have to say about this.