North MSP to query DVLA driver medical assessments

4th February 2015

Highlands & Islands (including Moray) MSP, Shadow Transport & Islands Minister and road safety campaigner, David Stewart, is to query with the Secretary of State for Transport and DVLA why constituent drivers in the North and North East have to travel to Edinburgh to undergo driving assessments.

David Stewart said " I have been contacted by a constituent from Moray who suffered a stroke six months ago. As expected, he surrendered his driving licence. Fortunately this person is making a good recovery, but on learning the procedure to be adopted in applying for his driving licence back, he has learned that this involves a process which entails a driving assessment. However, he has been advised that he needs to travel to Edinburgh to have this assessment carried out".

“It used to be the case that the DVLA would come out and visit the main populations centres across Scotland, now apparently medical driving assessments are carried out in Edinburgh only. This means that people in the Highlands, Islands and Moray for example, who require to undertake this assessment, will have to travel hundreds of miles to the central belt to be assessed”.

“ Most, if not all those affected have recovered from a serious illness, they have made good progress to get to this point, but is it fair to make them incur costs and great inconvenience to travel to Edinburgh to undertake an assessment. Allied to this there is apparently a 20 week delay in getting an appointment”.

“ I will be asking both the Secretary of State for Transport, the Rt Hon Patrick McLoughlin MP and the Manager of Medical Assessments at DVLA what they are going to do to address this unacceptable issue. Surely in this day and age when we are all in favour of empowerment and devolution of power, an organisation such as the DVLA should be able to reach out to drivers in all communities”.