drive learn achieve
This year at Drive Learn Achieve we celebrate our fourteenth birthday. Fourteen
years of teaching Cardiff’s learner drivers, fourteen years of test passes,
fourteen years of reviews and recommendations, and fourteen years of close
shaves! In July 2007 DLA launched with the ambition of getting to July 2008. We
had a huge driving school fleet that comprised of one well worn, cheap Toyota
Yaris, 100 freshly printed business cards and a young driving instructor that
was still learning the trade but keen as mustard (still don’t know what that
means). We’ve had our learners drive us up one-way streets (the wrong way),
around roundabouts (the wrong way) and have taught thousands how to negotiate
Cardiff’s most notorious junctions the right way (Gabalfa interchange and
Culverhouse Cross included). We quickly realised that we were going to be
popular due to being recommended and our online reviews. We started the process
of interviewing driving instructors that were interested in joining our team.
Most didn’t make it. We demand the highest standards of professionalism in the
industry and this meant that sometimes the ‘fit’ wasn’t right. We’ve now
assembled a group of Cardiff driving instructors that understand our approach
and deliver excellent customer service. In 2010 we opened our Facebook and
Twitter accounts and we continue to use these platforms to interact with the
public and shamelessly plug our driving lessons in Cardiff and driving test
passes. It took a while but in 2018 we finally got on Instagram too. In March
2011 Apple released the iPad2 and the geeky version of us was in the queue to
pick ours up on its UK release date. We knew it would be a game changer for
driving instructors and it was. The interaction and understanding between pupil
and driving instructor increased exponentially and we now couldn’t live without
them – both our pupils and iPads of course! Cardiff’s practical driving test
centre moved from Fairwater to Llanishen in 2013 and with it came the
introduction of the bay park manoeuvre. The test has also seen the introduction
of the Hazard perception part of the theory test, basic car maintenance
questions, independent driving and last year saw the Sat Nav test introduced.
Keeping up with these changes is intensive but we’re of the opinion that if it
makes the roads safer, review and embrace it. In 2016 we started to offer
driving instructor/ADI training to people who feel that they can contribute to
society and its roads by not freaking out when headed towards a lamppost. This
is an acquired skill and takes nerves of steel – bizarrely we really enjoy it
and we’re aiming to become the best at it! In 2019 we began helping disabled
drivers to fulfil their dreams of being on the road. Sometimes the driver
already has a licence but following a recent diagnosis/illness, they need to
learn a new method of controlling a vehicle. This is a part of the business that
is developing as fast as driver innovation is, and it’s equally rewarding and
exciting for us to be a part of.
