xsmotorcycleschool.co.uk blog

Further to my last posting here are some links to the official communiques from the DSA on the subject.

No.1: “Extra Time Granted - - -”

No.2: “Improving Road Safety - - -”

No.3: “2009 Motorcycle Test”

No.4: “Important Information - - -”

No.5: This one is a link to a listing of all the projected test centres that you can click through on to find when/if they are opening.

No.6: This one gives their explanation of the “Benefits of the MPTC’s”, notice particularly item number 6 under “Better Service to the Customer”.

Dateline Thursday 11th September

Word has just come through that the changes to the Practical Riding Test that were due to be implemented from Monday 29h September have been postponed .

There is the message below on the DSA website to this effect:-

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Latest News

Extra time granted for new motorcycle test

The Driving Standards Agency (DSA) has announced a delay of six months to the introduction of the new practical motorcycle test, originally scheduled for September 29, 2008.

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There has been controversy as to the introduction of this test due to the fact that only just over half of the proposed test centres capable of delivering it would be open by the due date.

There are currently over 250 test centres available for motorcycle tests, not quite 50% of the total number of test centres, and this would have reduced to only 39 centres on the 29th of this month, as listed in the previous posting of this blog, with another 27 centres projected so cover in some parts of the country is sparse.

There is no word as to whether the £20 fee increase scheduled begin on 29th September to pay for the new test is also to be deferred.

As you know, at the end of this month the 250 odd motorcycle test centres across the UK are to close and all motorcycle tests are to be carried out at 66 new “Multi Purpose Test Centres” spread across the country.

The start up date for the new test at these new centres is Monday 29th September and it is admitted that only 39 of the new centres will be open for business.

A listing of where will and will not be open has been published and is shown here. The new test centre at Herne Bay should also be open by then.

(Click on the listing below to view an enlarged image)