long version, the Government wasted £71million of taxpayers money to comply with a 'bizarre' EU metric rule forcing motorcyclists to break the speed limit during their driving test, a damning new report by Parliamentary watchdogs reveals today, the scandal - which MPs have branded 'farcical' - began when Labour transport ministers signed up to a binding EU directive, it said that L-test manoeuvres, such as the emergency stop or avoiding an obstacle, must be carried out at speeds enshrined in European and now UK law - at 50 kilometres per hour,
to get around the problem, the Government's Driving Standards Agency (DSA) was forced to build 66 multipurpose 'super test centres' - at a cost of £71million - so that motorcycle candidates can take the manoeuvring elements of the test lasting just 22 minutes off the main highway, but only a fraction of the 66 new multi-purpose test centres were finished on time, causing massive delays, one new centre alone, at Basildon in Essex, cost £1.5million, today, the Commons' Transport Select Committee condemned the waste of taxpayers' money, and criticised ministers for failing to get an opt-out from the 50km/hr metric speed rule,
it added that it was 'unacceptable that the Minister was unable to offer any satisfactory explanation for the Government's decision not to seek a derogation', the Driving Standards Agency (DSA) was criticised for a 'slow and dogmatic' approach and failing to listen adequately to the motorcycle industry, Liberal Democrat Transport spokesman Norman Baker last night branded the fiasco a 'farcical waste of taxpayers' money, the Government should have seen this one coming, Ministers should have sought a derogation to have the manoeuvres carried out at UK speed limits, they took their eye off the ball, this has led to another gross waste of taxpayers' money,'
so I wonder who will fall on his or her sword over this one?
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