Driven to Despair - Report on DVLA medical section

I haven’t read the whole thread as I am a lazy git, but get the gist of it, but let me tell you a true tale…

My best friend of 30 years is a type 1 diabetic, and like many, due to the euro ruling, has had his licence taken away from him, (Non HGV driver.) because of his condition by the DVLA medical branch. He has worked all of his life, paid his way and now the government is forcing him out of work and a life of benefits which he doesn’t want. I can’t name who he works for as it may be subject to legal proceedings, but because he can’t drive, they have give him 30 days notice and he has been with the company for quite a while. He has jumped through hoops to prove his fitness to drive, even to the point where last week he paid out of his own pocket, for an independent driving examination, taken at an approved centre by the government who specialise in this field, and passed with flying colours to the point the guy taking the test asked him, in no uncertain terms, what he was doing there!!!

And despite all this, the DVLA don’t want to know. As he says, the point is the DVLA don’t want to admit they have cocked up with his licence and probably thousands of others hence their line is that a driving licence is an entitlement, not a right.

He has got to the point where he has sent a copy of ALL of the reports and tests put before him, to a very high ranking MP to see if anything can be done to overturn this crass decision by that MP’s Government.

He is now at his wits end in the hope that said MP can help, and he can continue to contribute to the state until he retires, not sponge off it.

Now not being disrespectful, but if any of you heard JV on R2 on Friday, an ex soldier with false legs can get his HGV back and be in charge of a 44t killing machine, but my friend who is insulin dependent can’t even have his car licence. And before anyone criticises my statement, then I wonder if the ex soldier would be able to stop 44t in an emergency if he needed to, however I do genuinely wish the guy the best of British, but it just proves how up the creek the DVLA are when it comes to making certain decisions.

Ken.