Waiting for the bus was something I had to do every morning, and in all weathers, so when my seventeenth birthday finally arrived I intended to embark on a course of driving lessons, well that was a least until I saw the cost of them. Like most teenagers I was one who only had a pathetic paying part time job and after many hours of contemplation. I decided that I simply couldn’t for the time being afford to learn to drive.
On my eighteenth birthday I got enough money to start on my journey of learning to drive. After making several enquiries to local driving schools and coming to the conclusion that I wouldn’t be able to even turn the key in any ignition unless I paid on average £15 to £19 an hour for lessons and obtained a provisional driving licence at yet more expense, I booked a block of twelve lessons, (well thirteen
really as the first one came free) at a cost of just over two hundred pounds with an independent driving school. I really had no idea that this was the start of one very expensive journey, but I was at the beginning and my first time driving a car was finally here.
Thirteen weeks later and all my birthday allowance money spent on the first block of lessons, I had only just leant the basics of the driving side and also the rules of the road. My instructor advised me that the average learner needs the amount of lessons based on their age plus their age, so to his calculations I would need at least thirty six lessons, costing me around the £600.00 mark…a little more than I was expecting and defiantly different to what my friends had been advised, but in desperation to get my licence I continued with the lessons.
As well as the practical driving test I had to pass the theory test. The test comprises of thirty-five questions on topics related to driving and the rules of the road. To pass I had to get thirty questions correct in a set time. Sounds easy, yes it is if you have got all the right books to learn from and at a cost of about £10 to £15.00 each, I class it as another hidden expense of learning to drive. Then there’s the actual theory test itself. Well you didn’t really think you could do that without forking out again do you? Yes more expense. The theory test costs £15.50 and I couldn’t do it in the comfort of my house, I had to travel to the nearest centre to complete it and in the unfortunate case of me failing it its another £15.50 every time a test is taken…luckily I passed mine first time.
I got my theory test pass certificate, and after a few more lessons under my belt and my purse minus just short of £700.00 my instructor told me to book my practical test. No surprise though when I am asked to pay just short of £40.00 to the driving examiner for their service of testing me on the day and another £40.00 for the use of the car in the test and an hours drive before hand to settle me down. So at a cost of just over £80.00 for a quick thirty minute drive around showing a complete stranger that you can control a car and obey all the rules of the road and do some moves that you will probably never do again in a car, you may or may not have a piece of paper saying that you have passed your practical test. Unfortunately if the practical test is failed like in for the first time in the case of many leaner drivers, then it costs another £80.00 for each re test.
So once you pass your driving test, all that money has been spent and you can finally avoid that bus and drive your way around…well to be blunt no you can’t, not without a lot more strain to those purse strings. The first expense after passing your test is the swapping over of a provisional licence to a full driving licence at which you will be charged for (Oh there’s a surprise). So now your ready and if you have enough money left after all that expense you can go and buy a car and face the cost of running it, a little more than the cost of the bus I think.
So please take it from me even though I have wrote this opinion in a negative form and you may be thinking differently ask yourself the question. Do I really need to be able to drive and can I really afford to do it? I know if I had though about in a more practical way learning to drive is something I would have waited to do at least for a while anyway. Just think when you are stood waiting for that bus how much money your really saving and then the wait really won’t seem that bad at all.
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I remember when I learnt to drive it was £12 an hour. Oh well once you have your license you're free. Well you are if you have a car. I couldn't cope without being able to drive. Justin.
Conicview 06.09.2001 15:00
Congrats on the op and learning to drive! I think it probably is worth it even though the cost gets worse as you become a car owner but travelling by public transport can be too.
Advantages: Makes sure that people have a knowledge of cars etc before taking their practical.. Disadvantages: The questions and tests are too damn hard...
Advantages: Career enhancement, social pleasure, life style enhancement, major personal achievement Disadvantages: If you abuse this skill we may all pay for your errors.
Aug 11th, 2001
very helpful by (100%):
