New driving test centre set to open in Reading
A new driving test centre is due to open in Reading to replace one that closed earlier this year.The new centre at Pacific House, in Whitley, will have "more examiners and offer more tests" than the old one when it closed, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) said.The previous centre on Elgar Road closed in March when the landlord announced plans to redevelop the site for housing.Rosie Gaines, the DVSA's operational delivery manager, said it wanted to "bring waiting times down and provide a permanent driving test centre for the town".
It will have five examiners, conducting seven tests per day, meaning 35 tests can be taken on a typical day.Ms Gaines said: "Our new site in Reading will be home to extra driving examiners who will provide more tests than the old Elgar Road site used to."It's a modern space, which will benefit instructors, examiners and learners."We'd like to thank local instructors and learners for their patience while we worked to open this new centre."Examiners had been moved to a temporary driving test site at the Holiday Inn Reading-South.AA campaign manager, Lorna Lee said: " Unfortunately, long waiting times for driving tests aren't just a local issue, they are prevalent across the country which doesn't really help anybody."Sadly, this is just a hangover still from Covid where tests were stop start and we've just never had enough extra tests added to the system in order to elevate the pressure.""Capacity is the main issue, so anything that can improve capacity would be welcomed and that will start to make a difference to people."
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