Tory hopefuls fight L battle

by David Skentelbery
WARRINGTON’S two Conservative Parliamentary hopefuls have pledged to fight for the reinstatement of the town’s driving test centre.
Paul Campbell, prospective candidate for Warrington North and his Warrington South counterpart David Mowat have been holding talks with driving instructors and their pupils – and staged a demonstration outside the Town Hall.
Mr Campbell said: “We have both pledged that if elected we will work with the borough council to reinstate a driving test centre in Warrington.
“The fact that Warrington as one of the largest towns in the UK that does not have its own centre is a disgrace.
“I have spoken with instructors and their students and all say that this situation is not acceptable.
“Our young people have to find the extra costs of travelling to St Helens and Northwich which can be up to £120 to take the test, not counting the cost of applying.
“This is detrimental especially to young people who do not have jobs or who do not come from well off families. Each time they fail this cost doubles.
“At a time when finance is everything, this extra burden, especially on our young people is unacceptable and if anything discriminatory.
Extra costs are also being incurred by local instructors who find they have to compete with driving schools in St Helens and Northwich because the tests are taken there, and students feel a need to drive on those roads even though they are unfamiliar to them.
The Driving Standards Agency closed down the centre in Warrington in 2008 because of a European Directive. Now we find they are going to open a new centre in Didsbury.
“This is a situation that cannot be allowed to continue and the DSA must be challenged to reinstate a test Centre in Warrington.