Calls will be made on Thursday night for the Southport Theory Test Centre to be reinstated.
Cambridge Ward Councillor Leo Evans will ask Sefton’s councillors to back his plea for the vital facility to be returned to the town, saying its closure is having a very detrimental impact on young people.
The centre was controversially closed last year, with learner drivers now having to fork out to travel to either Preston or Liverpool.
On Thursday, Sefton Lib Dem Deputy Leader Leo Evans will speak at the full Sefton Council meeting voicing his opposition to the change.
He will say: “Learning to drive can have a significant impact on mobility and access for younger people and those in isolated communities.
“Taking a theory test is a required step before you are able to take your full driver’s test. It is also required for motorbikes, lorries, buses and coaches, including the Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC) part 1a and 1b (theory) and part 2 (case studies).
“Learning to drive is an expensive process, costing on average £1,350 per person.
“Southport Theory Test Centre was based on the corner of Leicester Street and Gordon Street, Southport and closed in 2021 along with Test Centres in St. Helen’s and Wigan.
“Accessing a theory test slot has become more difficult coming out of the pandemic as centres cope with the backlog.
“Following their closure, the two closest test centres are in Liverpool or Preston, over 45 minutes away by public transport, longer than the DVSA’s claimed 40 minutes for urban residents.”
He is asking councillors of all parties to back his motion saying: “This council condemns the decision of the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency and the Department for Transport in closing Southport Theory Test Centre, along with other nearby test centres.
“This council resolves to: support the reinstatement and re-opening of a Theory Test Centre based in Southport; write to the Secretary of State for Transport and the Chief Executive of the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, requesting the re-opening of a Theory Test Centre in Southport.”
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