The Times & Star is still on the case of the impending move of theory testing facilities from Workington to Carlisle.
Let’s just remind ourselves what the DSA has said. Again. And I’ll do it in bigger letters this time:
There are no plans to withdraw the practical test service from Workington.
This latest salvo once again ignores that pretty clear statement. Again. It reports on a meeting involving around 50 driving instructors (I can’t imagine anyone having a meeting because they agree with or are neutral about the move) to discuss the transfer.
The MP, Tony Cunningham, who is carrying the standard over this says:
The reaction we’ve had from the public is strongly in our favour. They don’t want to see another service from the west of the county moved to Carlisle.
Moving the centres would mean long trips for people when money is tight and they could get held up in traffic and lose their exam time.
It’s expensive for young people so it’s only right that they have a centre close to their homes to be able to sit the exams.
I’m not sure what this is supposed to prove. Yes, given the choice people wouldn’t want it to transfer. Of course, given the choice, people would want the facility on every housing estate, in every village, and among every isolated community – but what we want isn’t always what we get, usually because we are being unreasonable in our demands. So although there might be “support”, that doesn’t prove that the decision to move the facility is wrong.
So it comes down to money. I wonder how he thinks keeping the facility in Workington is going to be financed? The DSA has said the centre isn’t cost effective (that means it costs more to run it than is justified by the number of tests carried out there), so they either close it… or find the money some other way. Such as by increasing the test fees or, if the Mickey Mouse coalition finances it, by increasing taxes somewhere.
And if one stays open, everyone else has a precedent to call on when campaigning over any changes in their neighbourhood.
He goes on:
If it [the theory test facility] does go then there is a chance that the driving tests will go too…
I refer again to the quote in big letters above.
The Times & Star has its own comment on the situation. For its own part, it is trying to link in every closure or change to local services with this totally separate situation, and proceeds on the assumption that the practical test will also transfer.
One last time (for today) I refer to the quote in big letter, above.