Coronavirus: Driving instructors 'forgotten' amid new rules

Driving instructors in NI have told the infrastructure minister that their industry has been "forgotten" after the introduction of Covid-19 restrictions.

They learned on Friday that they must stop offering lessons and that driving tests have been suspended.

The chair of NI Approved Instructor Council (NIAIC), Gavin Sinclair, has written to Nichola Mallon.

He said about 1,200 instructors are "wondering how they are now going to pay bills".

On Friday, the Department for Infrastructure said the 2,500 customers who have booked a test in the next four weeks will have their appointments cancelled, refunded and rescheduled.

However, as driving tests are already booked out until January, some of those affected may not be able to get a slot until February.

Mr Sinclair told BBC News NI that "the industry has asked for several meetings with Ms Mallon and we have been repeatedly ignored".

He added that driver training had been thrown into "complete chaos" and that instructors received "zero notice".

"There was no official information from the executive to us that this was going to happen, other businesses got a few days notice.

"At 22:30 on Thursday night, I was under the impression that driving tests were to resume.

"The majority of driving instructors only got the information that tests were to cease on Friday afternoon."

Tests were suspended on 20 March due to the pandemic.

Earlier this month, it was reported that thousands of learner drivers across Northern Ireland were struggling to book a driving test following the relaunch of the service.

The DVA (Driver and Vehicle Agency) resumed car and lorry driving tests in September, prioritising key workers followed by people whose tests were cancelled in lockdown, while motorcycle testing and car theory tests resumed in NI in July, along with driving lessons.

Learner drivers in Northern Ireland have to take two tests - a theory test and then a practical.

If learner drivers do not pass their practical test within two years of receiving a theory certificate, they have to take another theory test.

Kelsey Brown, 17, from Bangor, County Down, was preparing to take her driving test on Monday morning when she received the call that it had been cancelled.

She had taken 15 hours of lessons since July and was "gutted" by the news.

"My nanny (grandmother) can't go to the shops.

"My mum works from home, but it was quieter over lockdown and her work is due to pick up.

"My mum said that when I got my test I would help out more with nanny, so now I won't be able to help nanny as much."

Kelsey said that she was disappointed it could be the new year before another test was scheduled, as tests are already booked out until January.

Mr Sinclair, who runs a driving school in Bangor, County Down, said there had been "no announcement" of financial support for instructors.

"The announcements that have been made do not apply to us, it is for people with rateable premises which we don't (all) have," he said.

"The cost of a car to rent can be upwards of £500 a month, with some instructors paying as much as £1,000 a month if they are part of a franchise.

"That is separate from other business costs such as overheads, your fuel, advertising, stationery, accounting etc.

"It is like a mortgage, you could still be paying £500 to £1,000 rental costs but with no income coming in."

He said he had 30 to 40 clients at present, with "nine of them due to do a driving test in the next four weeks".

"It is such a frustration for the clients, they already had their driving tests cancelled during the first lockdown.

"Some are key workers, and some have theory tests that are due to expire.

"It will be January or February at least, before they can get a test again."

Mr Sinclair said driving instructors had worked hard to put in appropriate PPE (personal protective equipment) and to "adhere strictly to guidance from the Public Health Agency".

Lawrence Deehan, a driving instructor from Limavady, County Londonderry, who also trains lorry drivers, said he had spent £2,000 on PPE since the first lockdown.

He described the current situation as a "total shambles".

"I have clients booked up to the end of October and had to tell them I'm sorry they have pulled the plug on me," he said.

"It is more than likely I will have to refund clients.

"I was negotiating to buy a new vehicle, the price of the lorry was £74,500. Now I have to shelve that because of the current inconsistencies."

Mr Deehan said two self-employed instructors who work for him would also be affected by the latest development.

In a statement on Friday, Ms Mallon said she recognised that the news that driving tests are "to cease" would "cause considerable inconvenience and frustration for learner drivers, given that the service was already in high demand from the previous lockdown period".

She said she also understood "that this will be of huge concern to driving instructors who had taken considerable steps to deliver their services safely".

"Like other close-contact services which have been closed, they will be able to avail of, subject to eligibility criteria, financial support schemes being put in place during time that they are closed," she added.

The Department for Infrastructure later said that the decision "reflects public health and scientific evidence because driving instructors and examiners are in close contact for significant periods of time".

It said the DVA met with the Northern Ireland Approved Instructors Council (NIAIC) on Friday "to confirm that driving instruction was to be included in the public health regulations and driving tests would also cease for the same period".

"The DVA has kept in regular contact with NIAIC and Approved Instructors throughout the Covid pandemic, providing regular updates about driver testing services," a spokesperson for the department added.

"We understand this is a challenging time for the industry and students and will continue to work to ensure the safety of all."