"It's not over".
That's the message from driving instructors in South Tyneside who are determined to keep fighting after their local driving test centre closed. Despite vocal local opposition, Friday marked the last day of operation for the Bede Industrial Estate practical centre.
When the DVSA (Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency) announced plans to shut the assessment venue down last year there was local outcry, with thousands signing a petition against the plan.
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Jarrow MP Kate Osborne even raised the issue in Parliament, as protests were staged around South Shields. Campaigners argued the closure would lead to people needing to practice around Sunderland's testing venue, meaning increased costs for travel and longer lessons, as well as increased congestion from learner drivers on Wearside.
But with closure going ahead as scheduled on April 10, on Friday driving assessors left their former workplace for what could be the last time. Gathering outside the building and offering a round of applause as they left, local driving instructors said they'd do whatever they could to see the doors reopen before long.
Vikk Holt, a self-employed instructor who has helped organise the campaign, said: "We knew the closure date of April 10 would come, but it does not mean we have lost the fight. There was always going to be a point of no return and it is certainly a sad day but I know that to fight a closure there is often a period of closure.
"In some ways it means the pressure will mount. We are not prepared to slip quietly into the night."
Whilst the DVSA insists learner drivers should be comfortable on all roads, Vikki said realistically learner drivers were likely to want to practice near the site of their test. This would mean higher petrol costs, longer lessons and longer waiting lists for driving instruction, while those who can't travel to learn might be at a disadvantage.
Meanwhile, she said, increased learner driver traffic in Sunderland could become a problem and might even put instructors at risk from frustrated fellow drivers..
"We get used to abuse, it's part of our job, but I really do worry that doubling the amount of driving instructors in Sunderland will increase that," she added.
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Vikki and her fellow instructors say keeping the centre open is a 'cost-effective' way to tackle the backlog in booked tests which has built up through the pandemic.
They point to Freedom of Information request figures revealing that the total cost of rates, lease and ultities for the centre was just £10,324.84 for the whole of last year. The DVSA insists these figures don't cover the whole cost of keeping an extra centre running.
A DVSA spokesperson said: “We have made the decision to close the South Shields driving test centre, as there are other nearby centres where the same services can be relocated and there is no change in the number of tests provided to local candidates.
“Learners do not have to incur extra costs travelling to test centres to learn to drive. With more than half of candidates failing their driving test and having to pay for more lessons and take another test, it is safer and better to be properly prepared to drive on any road, before attempting it in the first place.
“All tests are carried out to the same standard so it is vital that learners have the skills to be able to drive safely on all roads and should be able to pass their test anywhere, rather than simply learning driving test routes.”
