DVLA renewal rant

Jeez Mo!! I really don't know what to say mate! Bureaucracy at it's very worst!!

Had another medical a few days ago, with the same consultant as last time. She was as shocked as myself. What a complete farce, what a waste of time and money. I fully appreciate an LGV license should be more regular and of a higher standard than a regular car license but 3 independent medicals and an optician report every 12 months ? What do you guys think ? Do you agree ? I'm not saying I'm right, perhaps this is the right thing to do. Anyway, I filled out initial DVLA paperwork in Aug and still no license through. I can still drive, but no license. I also need another medical once they have received my latest medical paperwork.
This LGV license lark is a bit like painting the Severn Bridge !

Sorry, no arguments today! It is totally stupid, bureaucracy gone mad, so I'll have to agree with you.

Further update. I went to get some foreign currency today from Tesco and they asked for driving license for ID. He pointed out it was expired, which I knew.
This prompted me to call DVLA for update. They said they wrote back to hospital consultant 2nd Jan as a question required further info. They still haven't had a reply ! I told them howe long were they going to wait before they chased this up ? Unbelievable. So, my on-going LGV license drama still unresolved. Even after this latest hiccup is sorted, I then need a further independent medical from DVLA appointed doctor. This is like painting The Severn Bridge........

It will soon be time for this year's renewal application and medical checks etc won't it?

mo1905 wrote:Further update. I went to get some foreign currency today from Tesco and they asked for driving license for ID. He pointed out it was expired, which I knew.
This prompted me to call DVLA for update. They said they wrote back to hospital consultant 2nd Jan as a question required further info. They still haven't had a reply ! I told them howe long were they going to wait before they chased this up ? Unbelievable. So, my on-going LGV license drama still unresolved. Even after this latest hiccup is sorted, I then need a further independent medical from DVLA appointed doctor. This is like painting The Severn Bridge........

Thought I'd just reply with emoticons  

   

Keep at it Mo all will be resolved eventually ...... wont it?

All the best Jan

Further update, I have my final ( hopefully ) DVLA medical next week ( 20th Mar ) at Addenbrookes Hospital. My 2 previous medicals have both been there too. This has been going on since Aug 2014. My license expired Oct 2014. I have written to MP and Downing Street. Waste of time. I'm totally up for keeping us safe on the roads but if my consultant was happy on medical 1, was 2 and 3 necessary ? The NHS is nearly broke but what a waste of time and money this is !

mo1905 wrote:Further update, I have my final ( hopefully ) DVLA medical next week ( 20th Mar ) at Addenbrookes Hospital. My 2 previous medicals have both been there too. This has been going on since Aug 2014. My license expired Oct 2014. I have written to MP and Downing Street. Waste of time. I'm totally up for keeping us safe on the roads but if my consultant was happy on medical 1, was 2 and 3 necessary ? The NHS is nearly broke but what a waste of time and money this is !

All the best for next week Mo .... let's hope this situation can finally be resolved

Having said that, yes I too am for keeping us safe on the roads, and I know of those who suffer eye conditions that also need regular health checks to see if they are still fit to drive, and that takes time too. Meanwhile you have much older drivers whose reflex actions are so slow that I question should they still be behind the wheel?

All the best Jan

Thanks Jan, I'll let you know how I get on :-)

Really hope that it's settled this time mate as quite frankly the bureaucracy and ridiculous hoops they have made you jump though is disgusting and proof that the system needs to wake up and smell the coffee!

Best of luck!

mo1905 wrote:Further update, I have my final ( hopefully ) DVLA medical next week ( 20th Mar ) at Addenbrookes Hospital. My 2 previous medicals have both been there too. This has been going on since Aug 2014. My license expired Oct 2014. I have written to MP and Downing Street. Waste of time. I'm totally up for keeping us safe on the roads but if my consultant was happy on medical 1, was 2 and 3 necessary ? The NHS is nearly broke but what a waste of time and money this is !

We have become a banana republic. Hamstrung by elf and safety, political correctness and leaders that could not run a whelk stall. Are we the nation that had the largest empire in the history of the world and won two world wars. Inventors of some of the greatest inventions of all time, such as the steam engine, railways and the jet engine, computers and the internet. F**k me gently, where did it all go wrong. Jeez we had great University's 500 hundred years old when the Yanks were playing cowboys and Indians.

Had my final ( hopefully ) DVLA medical today and seemed to go well. He did tell me though that he sees no reason why I should be denied a license but I shouldn't really have gone to see him as Addenbrookes is my usual hospital so he says theoretically, it is not an independent medical !! WHAT !!!!!! I didn't choose to go there ! DVLA sent a letter and told me who I had to see ! I sincerely hope this is the end of it ! Stay tuned folks ! License still not in hand !

mo1905 wrote:Had my final ( hopefully ) DVLA medical today and seemed to go well. He did tell me though that he sees no reason why I should be denied a license but I shouldn't really have gone to see him as Addenbrookes is my usual hospital so he says theoretically, it is not an independent medical !! WHAT !!!!!! I didn't choose to go there ! DVLA sent a letter and told me who I had to see ! I sincerely hope this is the end of it ! Stay tuned folks ! License still not in hand !

What a way to spend a day ! But necessary of course.

Staying tuned for some POSITIVE news ..... wouldn't that be great  

All the best Jan

Well, sorry to keep boring you but the saga continues. I received my license back yesterday but restricted to 1 year LGV ( correct ), restricted car license for 1 year also ! NOOOOOOOOOO ! I can't believe it ! I was promised I would receive a 3 year car license. I telephoned them yesterday but they won't discuss anything over the phone so I was given an email address to contact medical team. I sent a lengthy email and was quite surprised to get a reply today ( quick ! ). Well, the email said, because the internet in insecure, they can't discuss my case via email but I should give them a call ? Am I losing the plot or are they lol ! So, I telephone them and they finally admit their mistake. My case has been sent somewhere else and I will shortly receive a letter confirming things and will hopefully get an updated license soon ! This process began approx 10months ago !

mo1905 wrote:Well, sorry to keep boring you but the saga continues. I received my license back yesterday but restricted to 1 year LGV ( correct ), restricted car license for 1 year also ! NOOOOOOOOOO ! I can't believe it ! I was promised I would receive a 3 year car license. I telephoned them yesterday but they won't discuss anything over the phone so I was given an email address to contact medical team. I sent a lengthy email and was quite surprised to get a reply today ( quick ! ). Well, the email said, because the internet in insecure, they can't discuss my case via email but I should give them a call ? Am I losing the plot or are they lol ! So, I telephone them and they finally admit their mistake. My case has been sent somewhere else and I will shortly receive a letter confirming things and will hopefully get an updated license soon ! This process began approx 10months ago !

Goodness Mo .... you may get a satisfactory outcome after all! As you say 10 months on - you'll get there in the end.

Your perseverance has been great but you shouldn't have been put through all this.

Look forward to maybe the final instalment and satisfactory one soon.

Have you got any bets that it will be before the 12 months is up  

All the best Jan

Can you start your this year's application early maybe??

(And what's with all these snazzy orange bits?)

Can't start next application till this one sorted but I guess it will pretty much be a 12month process for me now ! Paul done some magic on the forum, until a post is seen or gets a response, it's orange :-)

What a load of nonsense; this is tax-payers money being pissed up the wall by these idiots. I can't believe you managed not to explode having to deal with these people.

My blood pressure is rising just thinking about it!

Dillinger wrote:What a load of nonsense; this is tax-payers money being pissed up the wall by these idiots. I can't believe you managed not to explode having to deal with these people.

My blood pressure is rising just thinking about it!

Trust me, I've been down the "explode" route. It doesn't work, you get cut off or a smarmy "we can't discuss this over the phone" or similar. I've emailed my local MP who actually got involved but gave up. I've also
tried No10 Downing St lol ! No luck. I agree though, this whole process has cost tax payers an absolute fortune, most of it wasted due to repetition and lack of customer service from DVLA. two of my medicals were with the same consultant ! Even she seemed bemused ! Such a frustrating process.