Q & A With Ians Driving School in Newtownards

| June 3, 2012

iansWe speak to Ian Jones, founder of IANS, the well known driving school based in Newtownards.
Lots of us have known about this special company for years because we see their branded lorries, horse boxes and cars parade across most of Northern Ireland as they teach people to drive all forms of transport.

Find out a bit more about the company and hear what their special offers are at the moment for a great excuse to finally book in and get that test!

When was IANS first established? 
Established over twenty years ago, Ian is both an Approved Driving Instructor & Approved Motor Cycle Instructor at grade 6

How many grades can an instructor reach? 
Grade 6 is the highest level you can get!

When did you first offer trailer lessons? 
Ians Driving school have been offering trailer lessons since the law changed in 1997. Covering Belfast and Craigavon test centres for B+E and Lorry tests.

What test centres can you provide lessons and tests at? 
We cover Belfast and Craigavon test centres for B+E and Lorry tests. We go to Newtownards for the motorbike tests and can go to nearly any test centre for car tests.

How many years have you been offering lorry lessons for? 
We have been teaching people to drive lorries for about 3yrs now as so many people complaining about the lack of good instruction for LGV/HGV/PSV ( minibuses&buses).

If someone doesn’t have their own car and trailer, do you offer use of your vehicle as a service?
Actually we recommend that you use our jeep & trailer as it is fitted with additional mirrors etc that the DVA require for the test.

I hear you offer motorcycle lessons aswell! What age do you need to be to start taking them? 
You can ride a scooter from 16yrs of ages (50cc) and then 17yrs you can ride up to 125cc , both have to do Compulsory Basic Training (CBT) to go onto the road as learners. £190 for the course & certificate at the end of it.


Ians Driving SchoolDo you have a facebook page? 

Yes, You can search for Ians Driving School on Facebook or click here

What’s the best thing about being on Facebook?
Hearing all the lovely thank you messages from the many people who pass each week! After teaching someone for their trailer or car test, our instructors have met with them a few times and have a friendly relationship, likewise in our lorry tests, each student has been in the company of one of our instructors for at least four days and had a bit of craic along the way so it’s great to hear nice messages!

 

Do you have any offers for people who might like to take their trailer or lorry lessons with you? 
Yes we do! Jeep and trailer special offer First 2x hour lesson for just £50!
We are offering £100 off to anyone who quotes ENNI (Equestrian News NI) when booking in to do their lorry test with us. The price is normally £650 +vat per person, which brings it down to £550+vat.


Ians Driving SchoolDo you get many horsey people in for lorry lessons and how do they rate as drivers compared to other road users?

I tend to find that there is a particular focus on perfectionism from a lot of riders when they are learning for their lorry and trailer tests. They tend to sometimes give themselves a hard time if they make a minor mistake while learning, which isn’t always a bad thing but it’s easy to see how they continue up the grades of competition if they apply the same level of self-criticism to do better each time!

We seem to see more and more Ians driving school vehicles on the roads each year! How many people work for Ians now? 
Approx 20 people work under the IANS umbrella.

What’s the funniest thing that has happened during a lesson? 
When pulling up to the Motorway bridge roundabout in Craigavon approaching the test centre, I didn’t think my learner had carried out his final check before entering the roundabout. As I reminded him, he applied the brake and on making the check narrowly missed a bright yellow Ferrari already on the roundabout. It would have been an expensive car to squash and hard colour to miss!!

When was the last time any of your vehicles had a learner induced dent? 
It doesn’t happen very often, and we never name and shame so I can’t answer your question – it’s my professional discretion!

Do you offer car lessons aswell? 
Yes, Ians Driving School cover most of Northern Ireland and also provide training for all types of licence – from 2 to 18 wheels. We have an offer for those getting behind the steering wheel of a car for the first time at the moment actually, three lessons at just £45! This offer is ongoing at present, so please pass along to anyone you think might be interested – or even anyone you are tired of driving around who has passed their 17th birthday!


ians1Do you have any advice you would pass on to people thinking about doing their tests for trailers or lorries? 

For those who already have a lorry on the road and they need to get their test, we would urge them to make the call and stay legal, safe and insured. The many driving skills learnt with us are for safety as well as how to pass your test and keep you and your animals safe while in transit. Our courses are for three or four days, with your test on the final day, so although you might have to take a few days off work, many of our successful candidates have enjoyed the experience so much, they came back to do their articulated tests aswell!

For those who haven’t yet ventured into the cab of a truck or behind the wheel of their jeep while attached to a trailer, it’s our job to teach you the control needed to be safe on the road and gain the skills required to pass your test so pick up the phone and arrange an assessment with us. We use several off-road locations where it is safe to learn the initial control manoeuvers so there is always one close to whichever test centre you choose to use.

Our instructors have the experience and skills needed to teach you in a friendly and knowledgeable atmosphere. We cover most of Northern Ireland and can travel to meet you and make it as easy as possible to get your lessons and pass your test!

To book any lesson with us, please call 08702 422 245 and don’t forget to quote the reference above and get your discount!

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Category: Business Features, Equine Transport, Features

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