31st Jul 2009
Old News: The New Two Part Motorcycle Test
Oh. My. God. Whilst rummaging around doing some research for a website I’m currently writing for I came across this old article:
New two-part motorcycle test announced : Directgov – Newsroom
Let me draw your attention to the highlighted quote.
“A two-part test means we can provide more test locations”.
Um pardon?!!? More?!!? Forgive me while I fall off my chair. *More* places have off-road sites big enough for learner riders to reach speeds in excess of 30mph *safely* do they?
In a word, no. The number of motorcycle test centres in the UK has been reduced by over 50% since the new two part test was introduced. Some training schools now have to ride for as much as an hour just to reach their nearest one. That’s an additional two hour’s training (one hour each way) that someone has to pay for.
Instructors aren’t paid very much in the first place for such a responsible and in fact highly skilled job. So they’re not about to give 3 hours of their time for free are they? Which generally means the training schools suffer because they can’t go charging extra to customers when their competitors, who may be nearer, do not.
So what *is* that news article all about then, hmm? Propaganda? Government spin doctoring? Or just a bunch of lies?
Maybe all three. And sometimes I wonder why I never believe what I hear in the news any more…
Oh. My. God. Whilst rummaging around doing some research for a website I’m currently writing for I came across this old article:
New two-part motorcycle test announced : Directgov – Newsroom
Let me draw your attention to the highlighted quote.
“A two-part test means we can provide more test locations”.
Um pardon?!!? More?!!? Forgive me while I fall off my chair. *More* places have off-road sites big enough for learner riders to reach speeds in excess of 30mph *safely* do they?
In a word, no. The number of motorcycle test centres in the UK has been reduced by over 50% since the new two part test was introduced. Some training schools now have to ride for as much as an hour just to reach their nearest one. That’s an additional two hour’s training (one hour each way) that someone has to pay for.
Instructors aren’t paid very much in the first place for such a responsible and in fact highly skilled job. So they’re not about to give 3 hours of their time for free are they? Which generally means the training schools suffer because they can’t go charging extra to customers when their competitors, who may be nearer, do not.
So what *is* that news article all about then, hmm? Propaganda? Government spin doctoring? Or just a bunch of lies?
Maybe all three. And sometimes I wonder why I never believe what I hear in the news any more…
Posted by sarafiel under 
Just a quick note 
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