Driving test centres in England can finally resume examinations from today (22 July) – as hundreds of budding drivers across the countryqueue up to try and finally earn their licenses.
Whilst lessons returned earlier this month, practical driving exams have remained banned since the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak in March – meaning that no tests have taken place in England for over four months.
Given how tests involve the close proximity of drivers and passengers in a confined space, it is perhaps unsurprising that driving tests have taken so long to return.
However, the process won’t be quite the same as before.
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) is making a number of changes to keep learners and testers safe during exams.
From 22 July, both learners and examiners will need to wear face coverings when they are inside the vehicle during driving tests.
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According to new DVSA guidelines, the learner is responsible for bringing and wearing their own mask, unless they have a good reason not to.
Reasonable excuses include:
a physical/mental illness or impairment, or a disability that means you cannot wear a face covering
if wearing a face covering would cause you severe distress
removing the mask during your test to avoid harm or injury or the risk of harm or injury to yourself or others
Seat coverings and social distancing
Testers may also choose to wear gloves and use disposable seat covers during the journey.
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Driving instructors will not be permitted to ride along in the backseat like they were pre-pandemic.
Test centres will now also stagger arrivals, with social distancing measures in place in the vicinity.
The amount of time spent inside the vehicle will also be limited. In fact, examiners will now ask learners to exit the car before informing them of their test results.
If you had not booked a test before lockdown, you cannot do so right now.
The DVSA is currently prioritising a queue of learners who had their scheduled tests cancelled due to lockdown.
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Anyone who has previously booked a test should be sent an email by the DVSA confirming their new exam date.
It may take “several weeks” to arrive, due to the backlog.
You can sign up for alerts to inform you when driving test centres take bookings again.
Where can I take a driving test?
Driving tests can now take place anywhere in England.
However, they remain suspended for any areas in a local lockdown – such as Leicester.
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Driving tests will restart in Wales on Monday 17 August. They remain suspended in Scotland, but motorcycle and tractor tests will begin again on 3 August.
Anyone who has coronavirus symptoms – or lives with someone showing symptoms – cannot take a test.
You may be able to apply for an emergency test if you urgently need a license for critical work. This includes:
Greater Manchester officially launches five-year climate change action plan
Danny Jones
Greater Manchester has officially begun its five-year climate change action plan, with the overarching goal of becoming a net-zero city region by 2038.
The comprehensive pledge put together over a number of years itself will see Manchester City Council and the nearby local authorities put into action a number of key measures that will help to reduce not only central carbon figures but, eventually, across the 10 boroughs in turn.
Over the last 15 years, emissions have been reduced by approximately 64%, saving an estimated 44,344 tonnes of carbon through cleaner building energy, street lighting and other electronics, as well as the increasingly green and over-growing Bee Network.
They have also insisted that it isn’t just about cutting down on greenhouse gases; the aim is to make the city region and the surrounding areas more sustainable, affordable and create a better standard of life.
Our five-year plan to tackle climate change launches today. 🌏
It details how we’ll continue to deliver dramatic reductions in the amount of carbon we emit (the biggest contributor to climate change). 🏙️
As per the summary on the Council website, in addition to creating more efficient homes, they’re hoping to provide more access to nature and good-quality green space, “public transport you can rely on”, and “better health and wellbeing for those who live, work, study and visit here.”
With a steadily recovering local and national economy (touch wood), they’re also hoping for an influx of new jobs, too.
Summarising the key bullet points leading up to the end of the decade, these are the next steps currently outlined by the Council:
Lower carbon emissions
Grow the use of renewable energy
Improve low-carbon travel in the city
Improve air quality
Grow the city’s natural environment and boost biodiversity
Improve resilience to flooding and extreme heat
Engage and involve our workforce and our city’s communities
Reduce waste and grow reuse, repair, sharing and recycling
Support a move to a more circular economy
Minimise the negative impact of events held in the city
Develop our knowledge of our indirect emissions and lower them
Create a green financing strategy and explore new funding models for the city
Influence the environmental practices of other organisations
As for emissions, the target is now to drop the present output by another 34%, which will prevent almost 43,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO₂) from being pumped into the atmosphere.
Having touched upon the continued expansion of the Bee Network infrastructure, Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) is also set to install multiple new travel links over the coming years, including both new tram stops and train stations – further
You can read the climate action plan in full HERE.
Manchester’s firework displays are ‘back with a bang’ as they return from 2026
Emily Sergeant
Council-organised firework displays in Manchester’s parks are set to return from next year, it has been confirmed.
You may remember that these once-popular events have not been held since 2019, as the COVID-19 pandemic initially prevented them from taking place from 2020 onwards, and then following that, they remained paused on a trial basis while the Manchester City Council sought to ‘reprioritise funding’ to support a wider range of free community events across the city.
But now, as it seems, the door was never shut on their potential return.
An ‘improved financial position’ now means that the Council is in a position to bring firework events back, while also still continuing to support other community events.
Papers setting out the Council’s financial position show that fairer funding being introduced by the Government next year will leave the Council better off than previously anticipated, he the reason firework displays have been brought back into the mix.
The Council has admitted that ‘pressures remain’ after so many years of financial cuts, but this new funding creates the opportunity to invest in the things residents have said matter the most to them.
“Manchester prides itself on free community events and we know many people have missed Bonfire night firework spectaculars,” commented Cllr Bev Craig, who is the Leader of Manchester City Council.
“That’s why we are pleased to confirm they’ll be back by popular demand in 2026.
“We know that generations of Mancunians have enjoyed Council-organised displays and that free family events are a great way to bring people together… [and] now that this Government is actually investing in Councils like ours rather than the cuts we had since 2010, we can bring back Bonfire events.”
The Manc -
22nd July 2020 
