Hiring a driver for the driving test

AdrianC

Can't you just get a friend to park the car at the test centre at a convenient time, then you walk/get a lift/get a bus to the test centre, do the test in the car, then...
If you pass - drive home.
If you fail - leave it there, get friend to collect later?

missile

You might be able to drive the car to test centre the day before and park in the street?

Scrapit

So you want a random character to drive you and your pride and joy to a test centre, then hang around whilst you do you test then the person you dont know from Adam drives you back?
That sounds odd and super awkward even before considering covid.

Car_54

missile said:

You might be able to drive the car to test centre the day before and park in the street?

But if he fails, which is the most likely outcome, he'll have to walk home.

Dr_Crypto

I guess it’s the old truism. If you want to do something non-standard it will either be expensive or difficult or both. 

I think a friend is the only practical option - finding a reliable paid driver for something like this will be very costly. 

sheramber

Why can't you drive to the test centre with a suitable person beside you. Why do they ned to drive/?
If you drove there yourself that would be extra practice before your test and could make you less stressed for the test.
If you pass you intend to drive home ?  What will be different from driving there except a piece of paper?
If you are so stressed about driving should you be considering driving at all?

nottsphil

From the thread title, I initially thought you were asking where you can find somebody to take the test for you! 

alihd

sheramber said:

Why can't you drive to the test centre with a suitable person beside you. Why do they ned to drive/?
If you drove there yourself that would be extra practice before your test and could make you less stressed for the test.

Of course I prefer to drive there myself, but then I need a "supervisor" and the creepy regulations make it illegal to pay that supervisor, so I need to ask someone to sit on the wheel themselves IF I'm gonna PAY them.
How can I get that so-called "suitable person"? Out of my so many friends, only one of them have a driving licence, as the rest of them don't need it in London, and the test centres' times are the worst (weekdays, only from 8-16), so it really takes a holiday from each of us to take the test.

sheramber said:

If you pass you intend to drive home ?  What will be different from driving there except a piece of paper?
If you are so stressed about driving should you be considering driving at all?

I have been driving outside of the UK for 13 years before moving here, and I'm confident and skilful enough to drive myself alone. Being stressed about the test is totally different than being stressed about driving. 

alihd

Scrapit said:

So you want a random character to drive you and your pride and joy to a test centre, then hang around whilst you do you test then the person you dont know from Adam drives you back?
That sounds odd and super awkward even before considering covid.

It's not about pride and joy.
 It's about saving £125 that the instructors charge for the test AND not missing a test because the instructors are unavailable.

alihd

Car_54 said:

Better still, sell the car. Paying tax, insurance and depreciation on a car you can't use can't be helping your state of mind.

How can it be cheaper to sell the car? Taking the test each time on the instructors' car costs £100-£120.
I can take the test every two weeks. Within those two weeks, the cost of owning my car and using it for the test is at most:

• £28 for insurance (£700 annual)
• £5 for fuel on the test day
• Almost zero for the tax (£20 annual fee / 52 weeks per year * 2 weeks for the interval between tests) = £1 for two weeks
• Almost zero for parking (£110 annual fee) = £4 for two weeks
• A decent car bought for £2K doesn't have much depreciation

I have already paid over £360 for the past three tests, so I'm sure using own car pays off substantially.