Ian McIntosh, CEO of RED Driving School: “The government has provided clear instructions to combat the spread of Covid-19, and as a result we have asked our instructors to cancel all driving lessons with immediate effect. We apologise for the inconvenience this may cause and will resume operations as soon as it is safe to do so.

“These are unprecedented and challenging circumstances, and over the past couple of weeks, we have tried our best to handle a highly complex situation where nobody has all the answers. We’re implementing new measures today to aid the government in its efforts to fight the pandemic and ensure we put the safety of our learners and driving instructors first.

“We have put in place a package of support measures to help our instructors during this difficult period. We will of course endeavour to support any learner in the ‘critical worker’ category and will do all we can to help them qualify. Learners in this category can email us at: [email protected].

“While these measures are in place, we would encourage all of our customers to continue to prepare for the time when test centres re-open. There are a number of online resources, such as RED’s Road Brain Trainer which is free for all RED learners and is proven to help with driving test knowledge and improve driving skills.

“The coronavirus crisis is one of the toughest challenges the UK has ever faced and it is equally challenging for the driver training industry. As the situation continues to evolve, the needs of our instructors, customers and staff is our primary concern, and we will do what we can to support those affected.”