Driving lessons to resume from April 12 2021

12 April 2021

Driving lessons will resume in England and Wales from today (April 12 2021), as the UK enters the second phase of the easing of its most recent lockdown. We at Marshall Minibus are pleased to hear that driving lessons will resume in line with the easing of lockdown, and trust that you find this information useful. 

Interestingly, driving tests will be postponed a further 10 days, resuming on April 22 2021. 

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), in recognition of the number of learner drivers who have been unable to progress during the recent lockdown, have promised to offer more tests and examiners, including at weekends and on bank holidays. Transport Secretary Grant Schapps said that this is "so as many learners can take a test with all necessary safety measures in place”.

DVSA records reveal that the number of 16 to 25-year olds holding a full driving licence has decreased from 3.32million in March 2020 to 2.97million currently – the lowest number since November 2012.

Learner driver Amelia Sully told Radio 1 Newsbeat that her driving test, initially booked for November 2020, had been pushed to February 2021, and was later cancelled and rescheduled for June 2021. Stay-at-home rules also meant that private driving lessons with her parents were "stop-start" during periods of lockdown. 

She said, "It's definitely frustrating. I've been a learner driver for over a year since I started on my 17th birthday.

"I've had friends who have booked and they were moved to September. So if I had to book another one, you're looking at the end of the year." This is a concern for Amelia, given that she is set to start university in September 2021 and, if she doesn’t pass her test in June 2021, she could be waiting even longer.

Driving lessons taking place from April 12 must adhere to the following safety measures:

• Both the learner and instructor should wear face coverings during lessons, unless they are exempt. 
• If the learner intends to use their own vehicle for the lesson, they should wipe down the dashboard and steering wheel beforehand. 
• At least one window on each side of the car must be open.

Contact us for Minibus Leasing 

To find out more about our minibus leasing services, please contact us on 01480 220444 or email info@marshall-minibus.co.uk. 

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