The DIDU Association

Recommendations and reviews from 1 person

• Referral from September 25, 2011
  

  Alan A. asked:

  does anybody else think that these cheap and cheerful driving schools who are offering 10 lessons for £99 or less , are causing major damage to our industry.do they realise that, once they take their expenses per lesson into account, they are working for less than the minimum wage?We have all worked and studied hard to get our green badges yet these people de-value our professionalism. i know of many instructors in my area who are looking for part time work to suppliment their income,and even some who are going out of business altogether.these cheap and cheerful schools should be ashamed of themselves,if it carries on like this for much longer,the public will look upon our industry as a joke. i for one would rather sit in the house than work for less than the minimum wage.Thoughts please.

  

  Barry K. replied:

  Folks, It is a simple fact of maths. In 2010 there were 1.8 million car tests done by the DSA. There are (as of September 20 th - from my link directly from the DSA) 47,033 ADI's and 6,663 PDI's on the register. It is currently estimated that about half the PDI’s are on a pink licence (3,331). That makes 50,364 people who are charging for lessons across the UK. That is equal to 35 Pupils PA., "IF" they were all first time passes BUT we all know they are not, only 44% pass first time, so you can now appreciate that the 1.8 million tests is NOT individual PUPILS, which in reality makes your 35 pupils per annum around HALF - 17 pupils PA. Now we all know that there are some who are on many more than 17 pupils a year, and a few on not as many as that. But taking that as a mean average on £25 ph over what the DSA suggest is the average time it takes (professional tuition + private practice (Private practice can be ignored) - for boys and girls the numbers are a little different) of around 47 hours professional tuition = £1175. Making the assumption that the TOTAL amount of your expenditure - vehicle, maintenance, fuel, back office, franchise, insurance etc., Tax & N.I. will swallow up around 2/3 of your gross income, that will leave you around £391.33. Multiply that by 17 = £6,658.39. If you are really lucky and you don't spend quite so much on your outgoings you might make £10K. Now this is on £25 per hour. If as Sean suggests the prices need to 'drop' to where they should be, then NO ONE will be making a living upon which a family could survive. Yes we do need to bring up the standard of ADI education as well as Pupil education. As for the Pink Licence, I will be attending a meeting in November where the association I am the Chair of, (DIDU – www.didu.co.uk ) with others, will be discussing this with the DSA with a view to have it abolished, which is in the Mind of the current Minister. HMG has got this one in, one out for new legislation, so putting a cap on the register will just not happen for economical reasons – it is a good earner for the DSA let alone those who train PDI’s. This profession needs to get real and if EVERYONE (without starting a Cartel / monopoly – only HMG can do that and get away with it) were to have a proper pricing structure that actually reflected what it TRULY costs to learn to drive (NOT just past the test), then hourly lessons should be around £30 -£35 ph – dependent upon location as we all know some areas have higher costs than others. So many are cutting off their own noses just to get one or two extra people through their books which is NOT the way to survive. Provide a good service at a reasonable rate that is commercially viable and you will survive. These advertising catches that talk about “LESSONS” for £16 - £20 which turn out to be 30 – 45 minutes lessons, and much of that is spent stationary is, IMHO a bit below the belt. I appreciate not everyone does it, but I have collected so many in my time to know that it still goes on even today! Regards,

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