logo
Driving examiners given mental health support to cope with furious learners

Driving examiners given mental health support to cope with furious learners

Telegraph5 days ago
Driving examiners are being offered mental health support to cope with angry learners forced to wait months for a test.
One hundred 'mental health first aiders' have been trained to help relieve the 'pressures' on staff grappling with the issues in Britain's driving test system, which has seen waiting times reach a record high.
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) said the initiative was a 'particularly important' resource for staff during ' this challenging period '.
However, the revelations prompted backlash from campaigners, who said the taxpayer-funded agency should focus on lowering waiting times first.
The TaxPayers' Alliance called for the Government to abolish the quango and contract driving tests out to the private sector.
Loveday Ryder, the chief executive of the DVSA, praised the mental health project as an 'important' resource for staff under pressure.
In her introduction to the DVSA's annual report, she said: 'Our commitment to colleague wellbeing was reflected in the launch of our comprehensive mental health strategy, which included training over 100 mental health first aiders across the organisation.
'This initiative has been particularly important given the pressures our colleagues have faced while working to reduce waiting times and meet customer expectations.'
Nick Bitel, the DVSA's non-executive chairman, also hailed the agency's environmental achievements, pointing out that it reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by 45 per cent since 2017-18.
However, the report went on to confirm that the DVSA had missed its 'key target' to slash waiting times for practical tests, blaming a lack of examiners and rise in demand.
The average wait time stood at around 22 weeks in March, up from 16 the previous year.
The report said: 'We acknowledge, with regret, that these prolonged waiting times are negatively impacting our customers.
'This area of work is our number one priority.'
'The DVSA are a disgrace'
As of February, only 14 centres had waiting times at or below seven weeks, which is the DVSA's nationwide target for the end of the year.
Elliot Keck, the head of campaigns at the TaxPayers' Alliance, said: 'The DVSA are a disgrace and bring shame to the whole of the public sector.
'They are completely unable to deliver their core objective, yet still have the gall to boast about their achievements on reducing emissions and improving staff access to mental health services.
'Labour needs to be radical with this failing quango and at minimum should be completely clearing out senior management. Ideally they would be abolishing the body entirely and instead contracting out driving tests to the private sector.'
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Allingham completes Superstock double at Brands
Allingham completes Superstock double at Brands

BBC News

timean hour ago

  • BBC News

Allingham completes Superstock double at Brands

David Allingham completed a Superstock double at the British Superbike Championship round at Brands Ireland's Allingham beat championship leader Ilya Mikhalchik by just 0.594 seconds in the second race around the Grand Prix circuit in SMS BMW rider had dropped to second behind Tom Ward in the early stages but responded to take the lead on lap nine and he held off Mikhalchik on the final Saturday, the 30-year-old had beaten Mikhalchik to the chequered flag by just 0.3 seconds after starting the race from pole was a first two victories of the season for Allingham, who is now up to third in the standings and 47 points behind leader at Brands Hatch, Nikki Coates beat title rival Barry Burrell by just 0.062 seconds to extend his championship lead in the BMW Motorrad F 900 R the British Superbike Championship, Andrew Irwin finished 11th and seventh in the opening two races but he failed to finish the third Swann secured three points finishes with 14th and two 12th places.

Charging point shortage dents demand for EVs
Charging point shortage dents demand for EVs

Daily Mail​

timean hour ago

  • Daily Mail​

Charging point shortage dents demand for EVs

A shortage of charging points is denting demand for electric vehicles, according to industry experts. Figures show there are just 82,369 public chargers in the UK with 48 added each day on average so far this year. Analysis by the Mail reveals Britain needs to build around 130 a day – nearly triple the current number – to reach the goal of having 300,000 public charging points by 2030. The shortage of charging points – which has fuelled so-called 'range anxiety' among motorists worried about where they can plug in – has been highlighted as one of the reasons why demand for electric cars has dwindled. Drivers have also been put off by the price of electric vehicles, which are typically more expensive than petrol and diesel cars. The Government has this summer announced plans to give motorists up to £3,750 to switch to EVs in a bid to boost demand to meet net zero targets. But experts said the shortage of charging points was a major threat to these efforts. Quentin Willson, founder of FairCharge, said the Government 'should do more to fast track and better support installations, especially in areas where there are charging deserts'. He added: 'Consumers rightly worry that there aren't enough public chargers. 'Government needs to send out a clear message to drivers that they are in control of the EV charging narrative, that they will support investment into the charging sector and help keep prices down.' According to charging point statistics website Zapmap, about 8,670 were added to the public network in the first half of this year. But this is less than half of the 19,834 added in 2024, suggesting the rollout is slowing. Just 1,371 were added to the Zapmap database in June – or 46 a day. Susan Wells, a director of EV charging point firm Hive, said: 'Charging must become as straightforward as filling up a petrol or diesel car.' A Department for Transport spokesman said: 'We're adding a public charge point every half an hour.

Car Deal of the Day: Hyundai Ioniq 6 offers sci-fi styling for under £250 a month
Car Deal of the Day: Hyundai Ioniq 6 offers sci-fi styling for under £250 a month

Auto Express

time7 hours ago

  • Auto Express

Car Deal of the Day: Hyundai Ioniq 6 offers sci-fi styling for under £250 a month

Eye-catching looks Good range £247.98 a month There aren't many family saloons out there that will match the Hyundai Ioniq 6 for its head-turning ability, but as with the Ioniq 5 which it sits alongside, it manages to combine great looks, driveability, efficiency and technology. And thanks to this deal we found on the Auto Express Find A Car service via Carparison, you can now add value into the mix, too. Based on a two-year agreement, this deal requires an initial deposit of £3,274 followed by monthly payments of just £247.98. There's a maximum mileage limit of 5,000, but you can extend this to 8,000, which would increase the monthly payments to £266. Advertisement - Article continues below Sitting on the same platform and using the same 77kWh battery as the Ioniq 5, the Ioniq 6 comes with some very impressive numbers. Range stands at a respectable 339 miles and thanks to its 800V architecture, a 350kW ultra-rapid charger would see a 10 to 80 per cent top-up in just 18 minutes. Then there's the design: the Ioniq 6 demands attention whether you're looking from the inside or out. While it might resemble something from a sci-fi film, it's easy to drive thanks to light steering and a quiet cabin. It's quick, too – a 228bhp electric motor is enough to punch it from 0-62mph in 7.4 seconds. Equipment levels are excellent. The all-important heat pump is present and accounted for, there's dual-zone climate control, a vehicle-to-load charging capacity, twin 12.3-inch screens, a wireless smartphone charger and a heated steering wheel to go with heated front and rear seats. The Car Deal of the Day selections we make are taken from our own Auto Express Find A Car deals service, which includes the best current offers from car dealers and leasing companies around the UK. Terms and conditions apply, while prices and offers are subject to change and limited availability. If this deal expires, you can find more top Hyundai Ioniq 6 leasing offers from leading providers on our Hyundai Ioniq 6 hub page. Check out the Hyundai Ioniq 6 deal or take a look at our previous Car Deal of the Day selection here…

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store