An East Kilbride driving instructor has warned that those wanting to get behind the wheel are facing a long wait.
Instructor, Susan Miller, also said a lack of clear guidance from their governing body - the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) – has left many in the industry struggling.
Boris Johnson announced that driving lessons could resume on April 12 south of the border, with driving schools here awaiting further clarification this week from the First Minister.
But with a backlog of tests – both practical and theory – and long waiting lists for lessons, Susan believes that it could be many months, if not years, before the industry has recovered.
She told the News: “Since last March we have actually only worked around 10 weeks all in.
“In East Kilbride the majority of driving schools are independent operators and self employed.
“But we all know each other and try to help out where we can, but everyone is desperate to get back to work.
“The way some instructors have set up their business they have fallen through the
cracks for grants, some have had no financial help at all and that’s been really, really difficult.”
However, she said that she feels especially for students who are desperate to get their licence.
“When we return the sheer demand of both theory and practical diving tests will be horrendous,” she went on.
“In the UK around 420,000 practical tests are overdue.
“There will be at least a waiting time of 20 weeks to book a test and around 380,000 theory tests are overdue.
“On average in East Kilbride the test centre, which is part-time, does between 35 to 50 tests a week – the waiting list is going to be very long.”
Susan said that as theory tests are only valid for two years, some will have to resit that before they can even think about a practical test.
She continued: “We have all been inundated with calls to book lessons once we are up and running.
“There have been thousands of kids who have turned 17 in the last year desperate to get a licence.
“But it’s going to be a long wait to get started and then try and book a test.
“It could be months if not years before things settle down.”
And she said the last year has proved to be a massive challenge for many instructors.
“There are people in the industry who are looking for different employment – rather than being self-employed,” Susan continued.
“There are others that are due to retire in the next year or two who will just decide to go now rather than wait.
“And as the majority in EK are independent, I know of other instructors who have taken jobs in supermarkets or as delivery drivers just to help make ends meet.
“At the minute we are working to be provisionally back from April 26 going by what we know at minute with test resuming probably a week or two later but we just have to wait and see.”
And Susan feel far more could have been done to upport instructors.
She added: “We feel that the DVSA have been very uncommunicative with very little support or acknowledgement.
“Given that the whole industry has ceased to exist for a whole year – we have very much been left alone.
“Our governing body could have definitely done more to keep us included and communicate with us.”
