Business Meeting

Monday 3^rd April 2006

 

Present:

 

Ron Williams, Iain Holgan, Ian Malone, Tom Meechan, Mike O’Neill, Sally Robinson, Helen Ferne, Paula Moran, Graham Steel, Alan McGeddie, Euan Higgins, Ray Lynch, John Meikle, Alan Dryden, Murray Forsyth, John Allan, Donna Tait, Hugh Scullion, Graeme McLaughlan, William Miller, Hamish Lambert, Susan Nichol, Paul Hopwood, Gary Ballantyne, Ian Henry, Alan Ogilvie, Louise Rawlings, John Keogh, John Doherty, Liz Shaw, Andrew Nisbett, Keith Sherlaw, Paul Gilroy, Danny McKim, Stewart Thornton, Ken Palmer, Tony Helgren.

 

Apologies:

 

Austin Muir, Allan McGeddie, Ray Ramsay, Walter Easton

 

Ron Williams opened the meeting and welcomed everybody present.

 

Minutes of Previous Meeting:

 

The Minutes of the previous were accepted as an accurate record of the business conducted.

 

Matters Arising:

 

·        Ron gave an insight into DISC (Driving Instructors Scottish Council) and the attributes that they have. He further stated that each member of the association could go along to the meetings which are held in Perth. It was suggested that 2 members of the association should attend each meeting. There is a small charge for attending the meeting but this includes a very scrumptious Lunch!!.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Special Guest Stars!

 

The members of the meeting were then joined by Tom Lindsay, Violet-Ann Aitken and Norman Geddes, all examiners from the local test centre in Bathgate. During their attendance at the meeting various points were aired by the examiners and they were also asked several questions re Driving Tests, These were as follows;

 

·        The examiners stated concern at the use of test routes by instructors during test times. As a result of this some tests run a little late due to the examiner not being able to use a particular location for a manoeuvre or similar and having to move on to another location.

 

·        Concerns were also raised re the use and location of some equipment within instructor’s vehicles, e.g. mobile phone holders, monitors etc. They stated that if any equipment was fitted to vehicles it MUST not interfere with any Safety device e.g., airbags or be likely to cause injury to any person should that vehicle be involved in a collision or if the driver has to carry out a controlled stop.

 

 

·        It has been noted by examiners that not all instructors display the regulation ‘L’ plates on their vehicles. These should be fixed on the outside of the vehicle and not on the windows and must be 7” square. Some instructors have cut them up or made them into circles. This will no longer be accepted for test.

 

·        There are to be more of the reverse park manoeuvres carried out at the roadside. This is a slight change in guidelines from the DSA, but they now be carried out as much as the left reverse or turn in the road manoeuvre.

 

 

·        Various questions were then asked re the pedestrian crossing areas and facilities in Bathgate town centre. This included the courteous crossings on Edinburgh Road; this is the area that has been painted red on the road. Drivers should not stop if any one is waiting to cross, but should leave it clear if standing in a queue of traffic. A member also asked id the lights were out on the zebra crossing on Hoptoun Street does this invalidate it from specification, No it is still a zebra crossing and should be approached and treated the same way as any other time.

 

 

 

 

·        Block gear changing will be accepted by the examiners as long as it is safe and the correct gear is used for the speed of the vehicle. This can be done in both directions up and down.

 

·        Examiners have no objections to the radio being on or a cd playing during the test as long as it is low and does not interfere with the examiners instruction or directions.

 

·        The use of Modern technology on vehicles is accepted on test, but it depends on what it is and how it is used. If the vehicle is fitted with a reversing camera, this may be used but only as a reference like the mirror, the driver must make full and effective observations as normal.

 

·        A question was then asked re the re application of a signal if travelling from the A7066 west and turning right taking the 4^th Exit towards Armadale at the roundabout. If the signal should cancel it does not need to be re-applied as it will probably cancel at the point that it should be changed from a right signal to a left one anyway.

 

 

 

Forthcoming Events:

 

Iain Holgan was collecting money for the bowling night and Ron’s surprise that he still knows nothing about, HA HA.

 

Date of next meeting:

 

The next meeting will take place on Monday 15th May 2006 at 19:00hrs in Bathgate Academy.

 

Any item for the agenda should be forwarded to me prior to this date.

 

There being no further business Ron thanked everyone for attending and closed the meeting.