Newslink October 2021

DVLA in the spotlight – again
More trouble at ’mill as MPs
question DVLA again
Colin Lilly
Editor, MSA GB Newslink
The saga of bad service at
the DVLA continues despite
the Government offering a
comprehensive rebuttal of
complaints.
In the August issue of Newslink I wrote
about the DVLA’s role in delays resulting
from the Covid-19 pandemic. The
agency has been hit by a string of
complaints this year, with criticism from
the public over a drop in service
standards amid a huge backlogs in
licence applications and enquiries, while
staff took industrial action over the way
the agency’s management had handled
their concerns during the Covid
pandemic.
As a result of the complaints, the
Transport Select Committee summoned
representatives from the PCS union and
Baroness Vere, Minister for Roads,
Buses and Places, Department for
Transport, and Julie Lennard, Chief
Executive DVLA, to appear before MPs
to answer a number of questions. During
this session the PCS representative
commented that “I have never
encountered, in 21 years, the level of
incompetence and mismanagement that
is on display at DVLA in Swansea.”
That wasn’t the only criticism either.
A petition to the Government was raised
about the DVLA’s performance, entitled
‘Inquiry into the DVLA’s performance
during the Covid-19 pandemic’.
The petition creator added “in my view
the DVLA are not-fit-for-purpose. An
inquiry needs to be held into their
performance during the pandemic. This
should lead to a more efficient
customer service, treatment of those
with medical issues and more.
“Delays such as a 6-month wait for a
medical restricted licence to be
reissued are completely unacceptable.”
The petition has attracted 11,099
signatures to date. The government
responds when 10,000 signatures have
been achieved. When 100,000
signatures have been achieved the
petition will be considered for debate in
Parliament.
The Government has now responded
as it is legally obliged to do, and its
response is as follows. As one might
guess, it does not accept any guilt or
blame, despite the MPs criticisms.
It states: The DVLA provides regular
updates on performance and progress to
Department for Transport ministers and
it has been fully scrutinised in two
Transport Select Committee evidence
sessions in 2021.
The DVLA has an incredibly strong
track record of outstanding public
service and has quickly adapted to
continue to provide essential public
services during the pandemic. Last year,
the DVLA issued 8.8m driving licences,
16.3m vehicle registration certificates
and made more than 500,000 medical
licensing decisions. The DVLA’s contact
centre answered more than seven
million queries including 4.8 million
calls, 1.5 million webchats and more
than 950,000 emails.
More than 90% of customer
interactions with the DVLA are carried
out online and these online services
have continued to work as normal
throughout the pandemic. Motorists who
transact online usually receive their
documents within a few days. Motorists
are strongly encouraged to use the
DVLA’s online services whenever
possible as this remains the easiest and
quickest way to access most of the
DVLA’s services.
However, not everyone wants or is
able to use online services and the
DVLA receives around 60,000 items of
mail every day which must be opened
manually by DVLA staff working on site.
Unfortunately, delays have been
caused in processing paper applications
due to the DVLA having had fewer staff
on site to ensure social distancing in line
with Welsh Government requirements,
industrial action by the Public and
Commercial Services (PCS) union and a
significantly increased demand for its
services.
The DVLA has helped to keep drivers
on the road throughout the pandemic by
issuing one-year licences to lorry and
bus drivers aged 45 and over without
them having to submit the usual medical
report if the driver has been unable to
get an appointment with their doctor to
conduct a medical examination.
Also, all driving licences expiring
between 1 February and 31 December
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NEWSLINK n OCTOBER 2021