Motorbike instructors are calling for the removal of troublesome moss
which has put the brakes on tests at a city driving centre.
Malcolm MacRae of CMS Training School said tests have been ruled out
since November 9 at the driving centre in Cove and he is losing about
six tests a week.
He claims he has been waiting three weeks for bosses down south to do something to resolve the issue. Mr MacRae said: “The test centre was built in 2009 and, since then,
we’ve had constant running problems with the surface for the MMA – the
motorcycle manoeuvring area. He explained that the MMA measures about 140m x 40m wide and is used
for emergency stops and avoidance exercises. Drivers must pass the
skills test before they can graduate to the road.
He added that motorcylists could reach 40 mph on the stretch before bringing their bikes to a halt.
Five motorbike schools use the test centre and Mr MacRae said
customers wanting to sit their test have had to travel elsewhere to
Dundee or Inverness because of the issue.
He added: “We can’t understand why they [the Driver and Vehicle
Standards Agency] don’t just chemically clean the surface. It’s just
crazy, moss isn’t a massive problem, but they should have a programme in
place to keep on top of these things.”