Sutton Test Centre Meeting

Minutes of the Sutton Test Centre Surgery on 27th May 2011. 11:30pm

This meeting was attended by various ADIs, George & Alan Taylor (who said he would stay for a while but actually stayed for the whole meeting).
George:
Sadly George will probably be leaving Sutton Test centre very soon to persue pastures new, following a course at Cardington. A new test centre manager will be appointed in due course.
Peter, although he doesn’t look it, is retiring & leaving Sutton test centre today. However he will be working part time at a more local test centre.
Staff at our local test centres are now allowed to work unlimited overtime, which means tests may come available at short notice, so it’s well worth checking for test dates on a regular basis.
Please remember if you have a test on a Saturday ADIs cannot remain in the test centre while a test is being conducted.
Rose Hill Roundabout... George informed us that the examiners at Sutton are now all ‘singing from the same hymn sheet’ trouble is we don’t know exactly what that hymn sheet is. So any info re RHR when sitting in on the back of a test will be useful!!
At the moment there is a 16 week wait for a test at Sutton. Alan explained how examiners are deployed to make the best use of them in these busy times.
Questions:
Wallington Test Centre.... The situation at Wallington remains the same. Various sites have been looked at & disregarded by the DSA for various reasons. However, all Wallington staff have been deployed to other test centres. Where they have been sent is dependant on health & safety & the number of examiners that are allowed to operate out of a test centre. Therefore ultilmately the driving tests are still being done, just not at Wallington.
By the way if you have noticed the large plant in the waiting room at Sutton, it is there to allow room in the office for another examiner!!
MTC – these plans have now been scuppered in our area due to the new laws on low emissions due to be introduced soon.
6000 applicants recently applied to become examiners. These are being processed at the moment. If you are thinking of becoming an examiner you can always apply directly to the DSA.
Cancellations when attending the test centre have been reduced due to the fact that the TCM will now, in most cases cover the test.
It takes an examiner 57 minutes to conduct a test. This time is used to complete paperwork before the test, the test, then a report following the test.
Electric Cars/ New Technology..... All new technology is continually being checked out by the DSA & how it will eventually impact the driving test. For example the ford focus can park itself, many cars have cameras in the boot to aid reversing. Electric cars are also being looked at, but as yet no decision has been made on how, or if, this technology will affect the driving test.
Dyslexia & following signs on the independant driving part of the test....... The candidate should put the fact they are dyslexic on the test application. They must then tell the examiner that following a sign is difficult for them BEFORE the test starts. That way the examiner can alter the test route if needs be so that the independant part does not include following the signs.
Emergency stop & pregnant women still remains the same. If a pregnant woman is the 3rd test then they will still get an emergency stop. If they refuse due to their condition then the test will not go ahead.

The meeting concluded at 12:30 It was a very useful meeting.