Driving test centre closure looming

2:35pm Wednesday 27th August 2008

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THE last driving test will take place in Trowbridge on Friday afternoon following a failed battle to keep the town's test centre open.

Learners from west Wiltshire will now have to take their tests in Chippenham, from the test centre in Bumpers Farm.

Alan Dewfall, secretary of the Wessex Association of Driving Schools and a driving instructor in Trowbridge, said he and his colleagues would begin teaching in Chippenham from Monday.

"I have been an instructor at Trowbridge for the past 17 years," he said.

"We are feeling very dejected at the moment at losing the centre.

"We feel it is going to cause more problems in the long run because residents living near the Chippenham centre will be swamped with heavy traffic.

"It will also mean that pupils who live in areas like Frome and Warminster are going to have to pay more and have longer lessons to get anything out of it.

"By the time they are picked up from home and get to Chippenham to learn the test routes their lesson will be half over.

"Then they obviously have to get back home too."

Mr Dewfall said he feared some students who couldn't afford the extra costs could start driving without a licence.

The battle to keep the test centre in Wiltshire Drive open was backed by MPs, councillors, local traders and thousands who signed petitions.

The decision to shut it was made by the Driving Standards Authority who decided not to renew the lease on the building, which ends next month.

Mr Dewfall said as part of the fight against the decision, the Wessex Association of Driving Schools even hired a QC to look into the case.

There are fears the same situation could arise at the Chippenham centre in 2010 when the lease runs out.

Mr Dewfall said the Association feared the DSA would eventually run all tests from centres in Swindon and Bristol.

"The DSA are closing local centres across the country and building multi-purpose centres in those area," he said "We fear that Chippenham could go too."

The Association has thanked all those who sent off protest letters to Secretary of State for transport Ruth Kelly, and those who donated money to pay for legal fees.