Isn't this illegal under the legislation? I think we concluded, as per Wolverhampton, that if drivers were happy to travel to a testing centre outside the area then that would be fine. But if they don't want to travel to outside the licensing area then that wouldn't comply with the law
This new testing centre here certainly seems to be outside the Amber Valley Council area.
Taxi companies furious after testing centre 'suddenly' moves 25 miles up the M1
https://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/news/d ... g-11026454
Drivers say they could be hundreds out of pocket as a result
Taxi companies have voiced their frustration after a Derbyshire council "suddenly" moved its taxi test centre 25 miles up the M1 - labelling it "unfeasible".
Amber Valley Borough Council's taxi testing garage has stopped providing vehicle testing for the council's drivers, meaning cabbies will now have to use a test centre in Eckington.
The authority says this decision is "out of the council's control" - but some drivers think the expectation to travel to Eckington is "unfair" and "disproportionate".
"Moving the testing station completely outside the boundaries of the Amber Valley district has immediate, damaging ramifications for local small businesses," said Velda Hutsby, who runs Nat-a-Jack Taxis based in Heanor - which also works closely with Hackney Transport - along with her husband, Steven.
"We are a small business with seven cars, so for us to take so many hours out of our day for each car every six months will be a huge issue.
"You need to factor in the travel costs, but also the wages for someone to sit and wait for the car, and also the wages for driving to and from the test centre.
"Add that to the money we're missing out on by not being out on the roads, it really does add up. And then if a car fails, we'd have to arrange another trip over."
Mrs Hutsby said that while she understands the council may not be to blame for the closure of the centre, they should reconsider the move to Eckington.
"While I acknowledge that a full tender process takes time, relying on a testing station located so far north is not a sustainable or reasonable trade-off for the local trade.
"There are alternative options within, or significantly closer to, Amber Valley—such as the Derbyshire County Council fleet workshops or other DVSA-approved local commercial garages—that should be urgently explored.
"I feel that the council that Amber Valley council have really sold us down the line and let us down. We've had no support.
"We've sent emails through to the council, they just send a generic email back. They're not answering our questions. We feel very let down to be honest with you."
Sam Sharpe has been a taxi driver in Amber Valley for 21 years and reckons drivers could potentially lose £260 from the two yearly trips - and has labelled the decision to move testing to Heanor "uncharacteristic".
The Bond Cars of Heanor worker said: "I've always found licensing to be firm but fair. Always sticking to the rules, but always quite logical - but this just seems uncharacteristic of them.
"It's just disappointing that we're being sent so far to get our MOT when I know that there are companies in the area that could handle doing this.
"In other parts of Derbyshire, people can be tested wherever they want. We also pay double for our licenses when compared to elsewhere in the UK, but at the moment, we aren't getting the service we pay for.
"There are 168 taxis across all companies in Amber Valley. I've done the maths and this will take cars out the area for a total of 32 days.
"That's 32 days' worth of business lost, but also a loss of essential services to the people who need them the most. In the daytime, a lot of elderly people rely on taxis in the area to get to appointments, so this will have an impact on them."
Amber Valley Borough Council said it understands the frustration of some drivers but says it was forced to find an "urgent solution" to ensure testing could continue.
“We understand the concerns that have been raised by some members of the taxi trade regarding the relocation of the vehicle testing station and appreciate the frustration caused by the short notice," a spokesperson said.
“Unfortunately, this situation arose because our contracted testing provider informed us that they were no longer able to provide the service.
"This was outside of the council's control and required an urgent solution to ensure that vehicle testing could continue without interruption and that licences could continue to be issued.
“Given the timescales involved, it was not possible to undertake a full procurement exercise before the existing arrangement ended.
"We therefore had to put alternative arrangements in place at very short notice and identified a suitable facility operated by North East Derbyshire District Council that could provide the required testing service immediately.
“We recognise that the new location involves additional travel for drivers and operators, and we appreciate that this may be inconvenient.
"However, securing a replacement service at short notice was essential to ensure there was no disruption to vehicle testing and the licensing process.”
