Instructors showed their fury at a demonstration last month
DRIVING instructors unhappy about the proposed closure of the test centre in Trowbridge have organised a car rally to draw attention to their cause.
The protest on Friday will involve driving instructors from all over West Wiltshire and the surrounding towns.
As many as 30 cars are expected to take part with local MP Andrew Murrison going along for the ride.
The cars involved in the protest rally will gather in West Wiltshire and travel to the driving test centre in Chippenham.
The Driving Standards Authority (DSA) has decided to close the Trowbridge test centre in Wiltshire Drive and move all the business over to the Chippenham test centre in Bumpers Farm.
Around 8,000 learner drivers take their test at Trowbridge each year as opposed to about 4,000 in Chippenham.
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Driving instructors and learner drivers are angry about the plans because it means they will have to drive further to take their test and pay for longer lessons if they want to learn in the area where they will eventually take their test.
Steve Dayman-Johns is the spokesperson for Wessex Association of Driving Schools, which is organising the rally.
He said: "The objective of the protest is not only to campaign against the closure of Trowbridge test centre but also to bring to the attention of the people of Chippenham the effect of likely additional learner driver traffic on their roads.
"We want to highlight the actual travel distances and times from places like Warminster to the Chippenham test center because it is a long way.
"Trowbridge test centre is profitable and there is no reason to close it. The residents of West Wiltshire need to realise that if it closes they will be the ones having to fork out more money for three hour lessons to get to Chippenham and back.
"There will also be an increase in illegal learner drivers on the road being poorly supervised and an influx of learner drivers in Chippenham."
Andrew Murrison MP believes Trowbridge is suffering from a haemorrhaging of public services and is taking part in the rally to promote the cause of his constituents.
The Wiltshire Times is sending a reporter to cover the rally. Benjamin Parkes will be embedded with one of the driving instructors during the journey.
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