Hello,
i’m just entering the driving world, PCV but eventually HGV i hope. After years spent in steelworks and the like driving all manner of vehicles and plant inc some old seddons used as shunters i have decided that i want to drive for a living.
Luckily i have a very supportive mrs and she has been a real rock of support so far.
so, my 10 penneth regarding DVLA, for what its worth:
I had a period of illness in april this year(well before a career change/suicide was planned) atrial fibrilation, which wasnt too serious but a little scary at the time. Fast forward a few months and i decided to put in for a job on the PCV route and maybe do LGV 2 at alater stage. Having no PCV/HGV licence i had to do the medical to gain my provisional entitlement. I did this and sent the application off, recieved and signed for by DVLA on the 29/8/15. I got a letter dated the 9/9/15 stating that due to my medical information it will be passed to the med team for review. I included a comprehensive amount of documants to state that i was controlled for over 3 months, it wasnt incapacitating and my heart was pumping better that the required amount.
In the mean time i had an interview/driving assement and medical for a bus company who were looking for trainees. having done my application it sstood me in good stead and i was offered a place subject to my licence coming back ok. so i called DVLA on the 23/9/15 and was told they were currently looking at applications from 11/8/15. WHAT■■? i want my start date sorting, i dont have time for these wombles to faff around. My new employer was fine with the waiting but i want to move on!!
With my hands tied i sat back, for around 12 hours, and wondered if i’d ever get my licence back. So after tripping over my bottom lip a few times i remembered while reading the Road Traffic Act in parts over the years that the secratary of state for transport was the head honcho for DVLA. I looked up his email address for his transport duties and not his constituency duties.
‘Dear Sir’ i writes, ‘Are you aware of the delays at your DVLA medical team department…’ a quite lengthy but polite complaint setting out my dismay at the baclog and offering a solution, simply employ more people from the millions unemployed at the moment.
Turns out this chap must have some clout as by the 26/9/15 i check the DVLA licence website and i had all my provisional entitlements in place!! Its either that or there is no delay and the womble on the phone was just decieving me.
Moral of the story… if its not going fast enough get complaining. They work for us the public and its this kind of slacking that is costing the country millions. there are a lot of folk out there who are sick and do need a good review admittedly but for a lot of the med team’s cases there must be equal measure who dont need to be held up!!
regards
