A 海角视频 Government minister is set to speak to the DVSA over proposals that could close a testing centre for truckers and bus drivers in Gwynedd.
The Daily Post revealed this month that officials from the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency
They are leaving their existing site and currently can’t find a “suitable” alternative on the town.
It would be a hammer blow to haulage and bus firms in the area with Wrexham a 77 mile road trip away.
Now Plaid Cymru MP for Arfon Hywel Williams has met with the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department of Transport, Baroness Vere, to fight the corner of local truckers, bus drivers and driving instructors.
An online petition opposing the closure of the Caernarfon centre has been signed by over 700 people, and the proposal has been met with fierce criticism from the local road haulage industry.
Commenting following the meeting, Hywel Williams MP said: “I welcome the opportunity of meeting with the Minister of State at the DfT to press upon her the importance of retaining the DVSA test centre in Caernarfon.
“From those directly impacted by the closure threat to the wider Gwynedd haulage industry, there are legitimate concerns about the potential effect of the closure on local businesses.’
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“It is unacceptable that the DVSA can consider closing important local facilities without any consultation whatsoever, when the livelihoods of the area’s driving instructors are at stake.’
“The Minister of State at the DfT agreed to take the matter up directly with the DVSA, and I am providing her with a brief explaining the detail of local businesses’ concerns.”
DVSA operations manager John Selbey said: “We have explored alternative sites in and around Caernarfon: these are not currently suitable.
“We will continue to look for alternative customer testing sites.
“Contingency plans are in place to move LGV and car and trailer testing to the existing testing site at Wrexham.”
Huw Williams, who runs Huw Williams Driver Training Ynys Môn, from Gaerwen, warned it would put firms out of business.
He said: “We have been doing this for 30 years but this would finish us. It would cost £110 in fuel to get to Wrexham and back, we’d have to leave at 6am as it takes an hour and a half.
"We can’t do it and there are six other firms like us in Gwynedd and Anglesey that feed into the Caernarfon centre. There is then the impact on the businesses that use us - the bus firms, lorry companies, local authorities. What will they do? There is already a shortage of drivers and this will just make it worse.”