MPTC

Hi All and wlecome to Leeds MAG on-line...

Now then, I emailed Jim Fitzpatrick (the under secretary of state for road safety) a while back and have finally received this response from the DSA, apparently they would rather put money ahead of novice riders lives....

Dear Mr Glanville

Thank you for your email of 30 July addressed to Jim Fitzpatrick about the introduction of the new motorcycle test on 29 September. Your letter has been passed to the Driving Standards Agency to reply as we are responsible for the implementation of the new motorcycle test. You are correct that on 29 September the nearest operational multi-purpose test centre (MPTC) for West Yorkshire will be at Rotherham. As you are aware our customer service criterion is that most customers should be able to reach a motorcycle test centre within 45 minutes, travelling no more than 20 miles, which we will meet by 29 September although we recognise that motorcycle candidates in West Yorkshire will initially have to travel further. We are, of course, concerned about the prospect of there being no motorcycle test centre in West Yorkshire and we do have three search areas covering this area based on Leeds, York and Keighley. Unfortunately, despite an extensive search, we have so far been unable to locate a suitable site for a MPTC in any of these areas. We are continuing to look for a site which we could use as an interim measure. We are working with the Vehicle Operator Services Agency (VOSA), to help us offer motorcycle tests on a part-time basis from 12 VOSA sites across the country. Because of VOSA’s operational requirements, we will probably only be able to offer tests from these sites at weekends and, potentially during summertime evenings, but our intention is to ensure that as many as possible will be delivering the new test from 29 September. We certainly expect to be delivering motorcycle tests from the Leeds/Wakefield and Wetherby VOSA sites and possibly from the Keighley site as well. You have asked if we could postpone the introduction of the test. I am afraid we do not believe this to be possible. The Government agreed to meet the new test regime established in the European Directive 2000/56/EC which came into force in September 2000. The Commission Directive 2008/65/EC, issued on 27 June 2008, confirmed the new test must be implemented by 30 September 2008. Any delay in meeting this date would risk infraction proceedings from the European Commission and we intend to implement the Directive as planned on 29 September.

Yours sincerely

Sue HinchliffeChief Executive’s Office - Correspondence

Life

I thought this would make it easier for people to get involved in what we do. Rather than having to stop decorating for the evening or find change for a pint down the back of the sofa we'd have out meetings on line (we'll be video conferencing next!). Every Tuesday I'll publish a blog and those that want to can post a response or a thought. We'll still be at the Victoria on the first Tuesday of the month for those that want to meet up face to face but the rest of the month we'll do it 'on-line'....