Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency says learners booking tests earlier has contributed to rising demand
More driving test slots are being made available to tackle a severe backlog as figures show a 15% increase in learner drivers with future tests booked compared with this time last year.
Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) figures show 668,128 people had a practical driving test booked in Britain at the end of September, up from 579,138 a year earlier.
Continue reading...Coroner calls for action to avoid future deaths after four killed by drivers with failing eyesight in northern England
An inquest into the deaths of four people killed by drivers with failing eyesight in northern England has found enforcement of visual legal standards for motorists is “ineffective and unsafe”.
The HM senior coroner for Lancashire, Dr James Adeley, has sent a report to the transport secretary, Heidi Alexander, calling for action to be taken to prevent future deaths.
Continue reading...The digital option will be made available through a government app, but will not be mandatory
The UK is to introduce digital driving licences this year as the government looks to use technology to “transform public services”.
The digital version of driving licences will be available in a virtual wallet in a government app, instead of being added to existing Google or Apple wallets. It could be accepted as a form of ID when voting, purchasing alcohol or boarding domestic flights.
Continue reading...Charities call for an end to the outsourcing of public debt as firms’ turnover rises nearly 50% in a year
Bailiffs hired by councils to recover unpaid debts have seen their profits rise to record levels during the cost of living crisis, company filings show.
Newlyn Group, which is hired by councils to recover unpaid traffic fines and council tax, saw its turnover from debt collection increase by 43.8% to £25.8m in the year to December 2022, while its gross profit rose to £15.5m. Company documents describe the figures as Newlyn’s “best ever results”.
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