A DUNFERMLINE driving instructor has said that tests are being cancelled at the last minute at the DVSA Driving Test Centre in the city. 

The instructor, who wished to remain anonymous, told the Press that, as a result of "poor planning" surrounding staff shortages, their students' tests weren't going ahead. 

They said: "Apparently it’s high absence, [the centre is] claiming that they’ve got high sick absence and that's why there’s so many tests getting cancelled.  

"There have been occasions where pupils have turned up for their driving test and there’s not been a single examiner on site, there’s been other occasions where pupils have turned up for their test and they’ve received a cancellation literally minutes before the test was due to happen.  

"In my eyes, the planning is really poor."

With a 14-week wait to book in to sit your practical driving test, and lessons costing an average of £40-£50, the instructor said the cancellations are having a financial impact on students, who will have to continue lessons until their rebooked test. 

They continued: "A lot of students have done their lessons and tried to get tests booked and passed before they go back to school.

"We’ve now got them going back to schools, universities, colleges. There are no universities in Dunfermline and so it's very difficult for these boys and girls to get tests during the day now because they're at university so it’s had a terrible knock-on effect for these people.  

"The financial implications, as well as the mental strain on these kids, is just unreasonable and the apathy that's been paid by the people in the test centre, I think is just short of a disgrace."

While those who have had their tests cancelled at the Dunfermline site, which is based at the Vine Centre in Garvock, are given priority booking the earliest date that has been given to students is in October. 

DVSA’s CEO Loveday Ryder said: “In the past financial year alone, we’ve provided almost two million tests, and I was delighted to meet the transport secretary recently to discuss how we can continue to increase the number of tests by recruiting more examiners while tackling bots and those exploiting learners.

“DVSA wants to see more learners passing first time, so we’re working with the driver training industry to educate and advise learners on what they can do to prepare and improve their likelihood of passing.

“Learners can check out our Ready to Pass campaign and use our checklist to make sure they’ve had enough lessons so they can drive safely and are ready to pass first time.”