The motorcycle Industry is predicting "chaos" when the new bike test is introduced in October 2008, with only four test centres currently operational across the UK.
The Driving Standards Agency (DSA) will be facing an uphill battle to train all its Examiners and prepare the new test centres when the new bike test goes live in October 2008.
However the Motor Cycle Industry Association (MCIA) has warned MCN that a lack of test centres will increase the cost of sitting your test, increase waiting times and reduce the numbers taking their test.
The new motorcycle test is part of the Second Driving License Directive, a European initiative to reduce motorcycle road casualties. The idea is to introduce manouvres in purpose built off road environments before letting riders out on the public highway.
The six off road manouvres include a cone slalom, u-turn, slow ride, figure of eight, emergency stop and the controversial 31mph avoidance (or brake & swerve) The latter manouvre requires riders to hit a speed trap at 31mph before braking sharply and avoiding a cone obstacle.
Because of the space required to perform the manouvres, most training centres are unable to accommodate the new test and this has led to the construction of new Super Centres, the first of which was opened by Road Safety Minister Dr Stephen Ladyman in Gloucester last October.
Currently the only other three Super Centres in operation are in Shrewsbury, Newport and Ipswich. The new Super Centres will feature purpose-built surfaces capable of providing grip in both the wet and dry; drainage covers will also be removed.
Behind the scenes, the DSA is frantically working with other Super Centres in Rotherham, Glasgow, Nottingham, Gateshead, Enfield, Swansea, Darlington, Exeter, Hull, Leicester and East Lothian in a bid to get them open before 2008.
The confusion surrounding the new bike test has led to some canny manufacturers to cash in on the chaos. Both BMW and SUZUKI are urging potential riders to take their tests this year to avoid disappointment when the Second Driving License Directive comes into force next year-they are both offering insurance discounts for participation.
The BMF has joined criticism of the new motorcycle test and told MCN "Motorcycle Driving License procedures are already complicated enough without the UK's own agency adding unnecessary embellishments.
Current test centre sites will be closed, typically there are test centres within 8-10 miles of a candidates home.
The new Super Centres will be fewer and further between and candidates will have to travel up to 35 or 40 miles to get to a test centre. In Scotland, some test candidates will have to travel in excess of 100 miles for a motorcycle test.
A DSA spokesperson said "twenty multi-purpose test centres (MPTC) sites have been aquired so far and 12 of them are already accepting test bookings"
"by October we will be in a position to provide the motorcycle test to the majority of customers. The 20 sites aquired to date already provide 40% of the population with access to the MPTC within 45 minutes.
RJH ADVISES TO GET YOUR TEST DONE BEFORE OCTOBER 2008
Please visit http://www.rjhgroup.co.uk for all courses available.
