Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency

It just makes sense for me that it's all blended together because each component is part of each other.

So yeah, the process is like that from, in my head, a DBSA perspective, but the process of training for me shouldn't be like that.

It was how I was trained, you know, and I think a lot of people listening to this will have been trained that way, or the PDIs will be being brought in this way, which was, it was very much like, here's an app or here's a, you know, whatever, go and pass your part one, then come back and we'll provide you training for part two.

And I don't think it works, but I want to just push you a little bit on it and ask you how you blend it together.

That's in the UK.

That's the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency.

Because the likelihood is they've not declared their modifications to their insurers.

And thus their insurance will be void.

you're listening to the driving confidence podcast for drivers who want to be calm and confident on the road we will be sharing tips stories and advice to beat driving nerves and anxiety and build your driving confidence whether you are just starting out as a learner or have had your driving license for years if you want to transform how you feel about driving this podcast is for you In today's episode, we're delighted to welcome on Amanda Lane, who is the Deputy Chief Driving Examiner and Head of Driver Testing and Training Policy at the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, also known as the DVSA.

Amanda has worked in a variety of roles at the DVSA, including as a driving examiner.

And before joining, she was an approved driving instructor.

Learner drivers were last month waiting an average of twenty weeks to book a practical test, despite attempts to reduce the backlog.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency initially set a target of reducing the average wait to seven weeks by the end of last year.

Channel four has announced that it's cutting around three hundred and forty jobs, more than a quarter of its workforce, by the end of the year.

The network, which broadcasts programs including Gogglebox and The Great British Bake Off, said it had undertaken a comprehensive review of its structure.

The initial stage of permitting also requires a safety operator to be on board to take over if necessary.

Uber and Wave had hoped to launch fully driverless services this year, but that requires a separate permitting process through the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, and it now appears that won't happen before the end of 2026.

In order to potentially get a ride in a wave-equipped car, riders will have to opt in through the Uber app and then select an UberX, Uber Electric, or Uber Comfort ride.

With over 100,000 taxis and ride hail vehicles operating in London and over 140,000 people already opted in with Uber, the chances of getting a ride in one of these vehicles will be slim for the foreseeable future.