The onset of another lockdown has once again stopped driving tests from being conducted.

As the backlog stands, the soonest available test date will be May 10, once all the existing tests have been moved forward three weeks to account for the ongoing circuit breaker.

By comparison in the UK, the delay for getting a test in some jurisdictions is thought to be as long as 12 months.

Here in the island there are currently 520 people awaiting car tests, 62 HGV tests, and 22 motorcycle tests.

Driving examiners needing to be trained in England in order to maintain the reciprocity/recognition of Manx driving licences in the UK.

Fortunately a new permanent driving examiner has been recruited recently, who was already fully trained and wished to move here from the UK.

What difficulties has the cessation of tests caused for the driving instructors whose business depends on it?

Gavin Morling, who has been in the job for 32 years, said that he was ’in a worse case than most’ because unlike other instructors during the lockdown he was not eligible to receive Manx Earnings Replacement Allowance (MERA ) because he is over 65 (state pension age).

Mr Morling said the interruption of lockdowns also caused problems for learners, explaining: ’When they open up again, we’ve got people who haven’t practised, who haven’t had a drive for weeks. Some cope well, some don’t.

’When we came back after the last lockdown in January I was expecting the first week to be an absolute nightmare, but actually I had four test passes in the first week back.’

He added: ’It must be a nightmare for the test centre, because they’re having to reshuffle everything all the time.’

He told us that after the first lockdown, he knew of six instructors who had decided to retire from the job.

He explained this had created an issue with supply and demand considering the relatively low number of instructors in the island currently.