Driving instructors in the Dumbarton area arranged a protest on Monday to battle against the threat being placed against their town's driving test centre. The group are plotting for a long battle against the DSA over plans to close the test centre after the lease ran out on the building. The centre has not been taking any new driving test requests for the last few months as the DSA searches for a new building. Driving schools fear that they may lose the test centre for good however.
Gill Pendleton, of Gillian Driving School, commented "We can’t let the crack widen. It’s going to take pressure from us and the public to get the Dumbarton test centre secured. The impact of us not having a permanent place here in Dumbarton would be terrible."
Instructor Duncan McKellar added "As far as I’m concerned just now it’s shut. We received a letter last month telling us the Burgh Hall would be used three days a week on a temporary basis. But a pupil of mine tried to book a test date and was told there are no available dates for Dumbarton.
"She emailed customer services and they replied saying that, until they found a permanent base, there would be no more tests booked in Dumbarton. Until then it’s either Anniesland or Paisley.
"That is a ridiculous situation as the Dumbarton test centre covers a wide geographical area from Clydebank to the Rosneath peninsula, Drymen and Arrochar. For someone from Kilcreggan sitting their test it would probably be a six-hour day for them."