Learner drivers due to take their tests in Blackburn with Darwen, Chorley and Preston could be affected by strike action this month.

This comes as driving test examiners are to take the first of 10 days of strike action.

More than 1,600 members of the Public and Commercial Services union (PCS) employed by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency will take rolling days of industrial action from today, March 6, to March 28.

The strikes are the latest escalation of the union’s long-running campaign over pay, pensions and jobs and redundancy terms.

The strike action might affect

  • car driving tests
  • motorcycle tests
  •  lorry, bus, coach and minibus driving tests
  • tractor or specialist vehicle driving tests
  • approved driving instructor (ADI) part 2 (driving ability) or part 3 (instructional ability) tests
  • ADI standards checks
  • moped and motorcycle compulsory basic training (CBT) checks - but not the training courses themselves.

The strike action will not affect theory tests. Learners who are taking their tests with a private test provider will also not be affected by the strike action.

The strikes will affect driving test centres in different parts of England, Scotland and Wales at different times.

The first strike action which will impact Blackburn, Chorley, and Preston will take place on March 15 and then again on March 23 and 24.

The PCS union has told DVSA the strike action will affect driving examiners employed at the driving test centres stated on the Gov website; this includes Blackburn with Darwen, Chorley and Preston.

Tests might also be affected at other driving test centres that are not listed. DVSA will not know this until the day of the strike action.

Not all examiners are PCS union members, and even if they are, they might choose not to go on strike.

However, learner drivers can change their test to another date if they want to.

They must give at least three clear working days’ notice to change the test date, or they will have to pay again.

If learners decide not to change the date, they are being advised to still attend their driving test appointment as planned if it’s on the date of strike action, unless DVSA contacts them to tell them not to go.

DVSA will automatically rebook driving tests for learners if it cannot go ahead because of the strike action.

Learners will be sent the new details within 5 to 10 working days.