The Driving Test In Leeds

dogduke · Post by **dogduke** » Tue 16 Nov, 2010 9:57 pm

The driving test centre in Harehills-site of the former Hillcrest cinemahas been there for quite a long time now.I took my test in 1963 and the test centre was somewhere off Woodhouse Lanelower down than the university. Anyone know exactly where ?The test route was Hyde Park,Royal Park Road area.Leeds was considered to be a difficult place to pass the test,places like Horsforth and Harrogate were said to be easier so lots of people travelled to improve their chancesof passing.The goods station at Marsh Lane was the home of the BR driving school.The railway would teach you how to drive for nothing to deliver parcels etc,many left after passing for better paid work.The BR staff were allowed to take people for the driving tests and issue pass certificatesfor a full licence.I believe the armed forces could also do this.I never heard of any other business or organisation allowed to pass drivers.Extractfrom a BBC/WW2 item about a driver for the Great Western RailwayTHE WARWhen I came back to the depot I was sent out with a trained motor driver to complete my training on a provisional licence and, of course, L-plates. I was sent with a driver by the name of J R Davis. He was on the Cardiff railhead run from Cardiff to Treherbert, that particular valley, and I was with him for about a month. Then I was given a test by the railway examiner who was authorised by MOT to test drivers prior to them being able to get their full licence. In those days the licence only covered - I forget whether it was 3 ton or 2 ton 10 - up to 2 ton 10 unladen weight. If you had passed out on a heavy goods vehicle you had to obtain a separate licence, known as the HGV licence, which cost one shilling.

jim · Post by **jim** » Tue 16 Nov, 2010 10:45 pm

The driving test centre on Woodhouse Lane was a shop-front type of building with a small front yard outside, more or less opposite Blackman Lane. That should narrow it down. As far as I know it's still standing.

buffaloskinner · Post by **buffaloskinner** » Wed 17 Nov, 2010 12:03 am

When I started in the forces in the late 60s, as long as you had a full licence you were able to drive anything. I used to drive tracked vehicles and HGVs (as they are now) on an ordinary licence.

BLAKEY · Post by **BLAKEY** » Wed 17 Nov, 2010 9:13 am

dogduke wrote: I never heard of any other business or organisation allowed to pass drivers. Bus operators of a considerable size - from memory I believe 250 drivers or above - were permitted to conduct (no pun intended) their own tests and many did so, Leeds City Transport being one.

amber · Post by **amber** » Wed 17 Nov, 2010 10:51 am

BLAKEY wrote: dogduke wrote: I never heard of any other business or organisation allowed to pass drivers. Bus operators of a considerable size - from memory I believe 250 drivers or above - were permitted to conduct (no pun intended) their own tests and many did so, Leeds City Transport being one. LCT test centre was Donnoisthorpe St (full circle) back in the 60s and the chief tester was a Mr Woodhouse who put you through it and did not do any favours. I was a pool of sweat after taking my test in 1960 driving a Leyland PD2 fleet No 380 but I passed. Happy days.

BLAKEY · Post by **BLAKEY** » Wed 17 Nov, 2010 11:21 am

amber wrote: BLAKEY wrote: dogduke wrote: I never heard of any other business or organisation allowed to pass drivers. Bus operators of a considerable size - from memory I believe 250 drivers or above - were permitted to conduct (no pun intended) their own tests and many did so, Leeds City Transport being one. LCT test centre was Donnoisthorpe St (full circle) back in the 60s and the chief tester was a Mr Woodhouse who put you through it and did not do any favours. I was a pool of sweat after taking my test in 1960 driving a Leyland PD2 fleet No 380 but I passed. Happy days. When I applied for the job as a "direct" driver I had to take a preliminary test at 5.00pm on a weekday from Sovereign Street Yard - it was with Senior Inspector Albert Bradley and the bus ?? - yes it was the same PD2 formerly number 380, with the somewhat "optimistic" Driving School fleet number of 13 - it was in really good order and I passed as well.

dogduke · Post by **dogduke** » Wed 17 Nov, 2010 1:06 pm

LCT buses with learner drivers as I remember seeing themhad the learner,the instructer and another person sat in the saloon.Was this another learner waiting his turn or did they also have to have a qualified driver with them ?

alanlad · Post by **alanlad** » Wed 17 Nov, 2010 3:02 pm

As I remember it, the Driving Test Centre was about a couple of hundred yards below (nearer the city centre) the university and on the same side of the road. It stood back off the main road at an angle. The man who took me from my first test was a Mr Feather. I was told he had a record of failing people! Happily I passed at the second attempt. I'm going to Leeds in the next day or two (I live in Tadcaster) so I'll post a more precise location soon. My wife reported to the driving centre at the bottom of York Road, near to where Adlemans store was. That was in 1965.

amber · Post by **amber** » Wed 17 Nov, 2010 4:14 pm

dogduke wrote: LCT buses with learner drivers as I remember seeing themhad the learner,the instructer and another person sat in the saloon.Was this another learner waiting his turn or did they also have to have a qualified driver with them ? The second person was also a learner they did 8 hours a day between them and were assessed after a week or so and took a full test after 3 weeks. When I got the badge (BB42704) I had to drive 30 hours in service in my own time. I had to go and ask a driver if I could do a trip He woukd stay on the bus and sign my sheet. On completion of 30 hours I was a driver conductor then depending on staffing levels it could be 3 to 18 month before bcoming a spare driver.

DOBBO · Post by **DOBBO** » Wed 17 Nov, 2010 7:12 pm

I finally passes my test at the Harehills centre in the flaming hot summer of 1976 - Between nerves and the heat I was wetter than when I have a bath - this was after failing four (yes four) at crossgates test centre. The first two failures were through poor driving admitted - the third and fourth were both timed to coincide with Roes and Barnbow turning out at four o clock and turning that part of Crossgates from a quiet backwater into the most heavy cyclist concentration in the western hemisphere. on the fourth attempt I had pulled uo at the junction opposite the Manston and everyone who rode past looked at me and shook their heads - enough said