The problem with the UK's driving license scheme is basically that you can slap a learning plate on a bike and go deliver pizzas in the middle of the night. That's pretty much it.
The thing is that in the UK you don't need formal driving lessons for most cases. The process is as follows: you apply for a provisional license; you're given a provisional license; you can drive with a learned driver on you side; when you feel like it you take a test and you get a full license. I won't elaborate much on my opinion about letting people out on the streets without an instructor with a second pair of pedals by their side, I suppose it's not too hard to guess. But if the system doesn't seem very fit for cars, it's clearly broken when it comes to bikes.
You see, if you don't know how to drive a bike you can't carry someone with you. Which means you can't take a learned driver while you're out. Which in turn means that you can pretty much go out on your own, with little to no strings attached. Which, to finalise, is a gold mine for delivery companies. What's cheaper, a properly licensed driver or a kid eager to earn his first couple of pounds? Well, a simple matter of looking out of the window and counting the L plates on pizza bikes quickly tells you the latter is the correct option.
And now I'm sad I don't have records of accidents involving learning pizza deliverers that I can quote to show this complaint makes sense. What a pity.
