Basingstoke’s theory testing facilities are closing down and being moved to Reading. The practical test is not moving.
For the record, it is only 17 miles or so to Reading from Basingstoke.
Of course, to anyone living in Basingstoke, this is “ridiculous”. A “shock move” which has “annoyed” driving instructors (what the bloody hell the location of the theory testing facility has to do with driving instructors is anyone’s guess).
The closure is for simple reasons:
DSA says the closure decision will save money as not enough theory tests are taken in Basingstoke.
The theory test centre in The Square, Basing View, has the capacity to hold 20,000 tests each year, but from 2010 to 2011, just 7,338 were taken, of which 6,467 were car candidates.
Quite simple.
Mind you, one instructor’s logic is highly amusing:
It’s ridiculous. They have kept the practical test centre because there’s too much work to close it, so surely they have the same amount of work for the theory test centre.
Yeah, everyone passes first time, and no one moves in or out of an area. And you can have as many driving examiners operating from a test centre as you can computers sitting in an office! Duh!