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Learner Drivers Urge Government To Extend Theory Pass Certificates Due To Pandemic

Learner Drivers Urge Government To Extend Theory Pass Certificates Due To Pandemic

Currently, the theory test certificates last two years but a petition has been set up asking for an extension due to the pandemic

Claire Reid

Claire Reid

Learner drivers are urging the government to extend the period that theory test certificates are valid after thousands of practical tests have been cancelled.

A petition, titled 'Extend driving theory test certificates expiring in 2020/21 by 12 months', has picked up 58,000 signatures and has already received a response from the Government explaining it has 'no plans' to extend them.

The petition reads: "The theory test certificate is currently valid for 2 years. The government should extend this period by 12 months for all certificates due to expire in 2020 and 2021.

PA

"Due to the Covid 19 lockdowns, 4 months of driving tests have been cancelled through no fault of learner drivers.

"Many learners' theory certificates will expire due to the difficulties in booking driving tests this year and inevitably the next year.

"As a result, the government should extend the theory test certificate's validity so these learners are punished no further.

"If this is not possible, any subsequent theory tests required due to Covid 19 lockdowns should be costed to the government."

The government has provided a response, as the petition has hit more than 10,000 signatures, it reads: "The maximum duration of two years between passing the theory test and practical test is in place for road safety reasons and the Government has no current plans to lay legislation to extend it."

PA

The UK theory test currently costs £23 for cars and is valid for two years from when you pass, in which time you need to pass a practical test or else you must retake your theory exam.

Between April and September 2020, 118,000 theory test certificates expired, an increase of 34,000 in the same period in 2019.

Data obtained by car insurance firm Marmalade found that of those 118,000, 49,543 expired during the two national lockdowns.

Learner driver Rosalina Rashidi, from Bristol, appeared on the BBC where she urged the Department for Transport to have a re-think.

She said: "We're doing lessons during the period of having a theory test before we take our driving test, so it's not like we've forgotten all the theory stuff.

"You don't ask a driver that has a licence to take a theory test every two years. So I just feel like extending it is something they should consider during this situation that we're in just now."

petition.parliament.uk

She explained she had booked to sit her practical driving test on 7 January - a week before her theory test expired, but then the UK went back into lockdown.

She told the BBC: "We went into lockdown on the 5th so I missed it by a couple of days.

"I emailed the DVSA on gov.uk and asked if my theory could be extended because it expired, I couldn't take my test due to the pandemic, and they said no.

"So I have to pay everything again and redo the theory test again before I get to book my driving test. So I don't know how long that's going to take."

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: UK News