DRIVING instructors in West Fife feeling the pinch believe that their industry will be one of the last sectors to come out of lockdown.

Driving school owners are in the dark with no indication as to when the industry will possibly be able to come back and for those left without any income, it’s a daunting prospect.

Bob Baker, Dunfermline driving instructor and Scottish chairman of the Motor Schools Association of Great Britain, said: “It will probably be the last industry to get started and it will depend really when we can start doing driving tests again.

“We’re hoping that the DVSA will make an announcement very soon.

“Theory tests will be relatively easy to make safe but it's practical tests that will be the problem.

“Until it’s OK to be within two metres of someone, there’s no way around it.

“You can’t distance yourself like you could in a taxi and you need to be able to control if you need to when you’re with a learner.”

All practical driving tests are suspended until at least June 20, unless you are a critical worker.

Bob admitted that it was likely some driving instructors would go out of business due to restrictions in the meantime.

“I didn’t qualify for help from the self-employed grants but I do know there’s some instructors that have been using that and they’re hoping that the Government will extend that so they can survive.

“Cars still have running costs to them but they’ve got no income to offset that.

“I would say that people will go out of business in the short term.

“However, they say there is a shortage of drivers so if it goes back to normal there will be jobs again.

“In the short-term, I think people are taking other jobs on, such as delivery.

“Also, a lot people in the job do it part-time so they may have another income.”

David Ellis, from Proscot, is also self-employed but hadn’t qualified for support from the Government.

“I’m relying on my savings," he said. "I’m fortunate that I’m a bit older so I do have savings but I’d rather not be chewing into them.

“Luckily, I haven’t got a mortgage to pay and my children are older but there will be people in my field who will be really struggling to pay the bills.

“However, it will get moving again, it’s an essential part of the economy so they will have to find a way to get it going.

“I expect it to be very busy too when we get the go-ahead because you’ll have all those people who were waiting for tests plus all those who are now ready to drive on top of that.”