Swan & Soto Show Rebecca & Soto

Woohoo, we are back! Soto and I are looking forward to getting stuck into the podcast show and interviewing lots of people over the next few months.
We are back with more news, gossip, and just daftness! It has been a long hard year for all driving instructors and of course, not forgetting all learner drivers! 
Covid is starting to be a thing of the past... we hope! We are all back at work, consoling students who can't get a test date, and celebrating with the students who have been waiting months and months.
With the launch of the new podcast show - we thought we would follow suit and see if we can book a driving lesson within the next two months! As reported by the BBC - one student couldn't get a booking before November this year, and that was after trying to call 50 driving instructors with no luck! 
See how we get on during the show trying to book a lesson in 2 months! 
We do our first Tik Tok live - be patient with us, it was our first one. With the recent updates from the DVSA we address the impending actions of the DVSA and discuss their actions - are they doing enough? 
How can you get a test date? Check-in with us to see how you can get a test date? Do the apps really work? Let's find out. 
We hope you enjoy the show - until next time! 
 
Take care! 

Welcome to this week's podcast show! In this week's show, we discuss your learner driver questions and delve into driving without a licence, passing your test and failing within 5 minutes of each other. 
 
In this podcast show: Can I have a black box at the age of 26? Have a listen and see if we can help answer your questions, is the black box available for over 25's and should it be?
 
Should I use P Plates once I pass my driving test? Listen to our debate for the pros and cons of P Plates - get the lowdown and wait for our real-life experiment! Do new drivers really get bullied when using P plates? 
 
Can I take a pet with me on the test? We will let you listen to the show to make your own conclusions! 
Can I drive without passing my driving test? 
One pupil this week introduced Becky to the world of the Aixam car. Get the lowdown on how to drive without passing your driving test! 
We hope you enjoy the show - until next time! 
 
 

Welcome to another edition of the Swan & Soto Show - your favourite learner driver podcast show. Every week we discuss new and exciting topics to help you pass your driving test. 
In this episode, we answer your burning questions on whether you are allowed to cross your hands on your driving test if you are allowed to let people out of junctions and what happens if you get a flat tyre on your driving test. 
There are a lot of myths around crossing arms and we discuss the real truths behind these myths. Listen to our show to understand why crossing your arms isn't a fail on a driving test but why we still discourage it. 
We also discuss why being kind behind the wheel may help you fail your driving test! Why flashing others is frowned upon and what to do if someone else is being kind and lets you go! 
Do you fail your driving test if your tyre blows when out on a drive? Listen to this episode to discover what happens and why it may be important to have some taxi money with you - just in case...or at least your bus fare home!
W also delve into the 'school of mum and dad' and how to assess which parent would be best to teach you with lots of tips and tricks to make the most out of private practice. The DVSA state a learner should have approximately 20 hours of private practice and with the current pandemic, we give you our best tips to help you with your training. 
Enjoy our podcast show - coming up in future episodes we discuss how you can drive a car on your own without a driving licence and discuss everything about intensive driving courses. Be sure to tune into our future shows and remember you can find us on Tik Tok where you will find even more tips to help you pass your driving test.
 
 

In this episode, we answer some of your questions to help you pass your driving test on the first go. In this episode, you will have stories and answers to some of the most common questions asked by learner drivers. These are:
Will I be using the examiner's car fo my driving test?
Can I learn to drive in flip flops?
Can I fail my test for the show me tell me questions?
Listen to Swan and Soto discuss their experiences, share their stories and give answers to some of your questions. Learning to drive is a very hard thing to do. Getting ahead with your training is paramount for your success when it comes to being able to pass your driving test.
Our 'pass your driving test' podcast series will help you prepare for the big day and help answers some of your burning questions. 
Also in this episode. What to expect with the new coronavirus changes to the driving test, and why steamed glasses is NOT a reason not to wear a face mask. 
Why nailing the observations on your reverse park is a super important and how to know when not to be perfect on your exam. 
During this episode, we also give information on our new tik tok adventure so get ahead and online and follow us! We hope you enjoy this podcast show. 
 

Welcome to another edition of our learner driver podcast show. As promised we like to keep things topical and educate you on current trends and new advances in this sector. 
In this episode, we will be talking with Rob Cooling a driving instructor from Nottingham who is an avid electric vehicle owner and teaches his learner drivers in an electric vehicle. 
Rob gives us a really good insight into what it means to own a new electric vehicle and the savings that come with electric vehicles. 
Based in Nottingham - he delves into how the infrastructure of charging an electric vehicle can be overcome for people that aren't able to have home charging points. How to plan your trips and he discusses the advancement in technology. 10 years ago, a 100-mile trip would need an hour charging time and nowadays, this is now done in 10 minutes or less. 
He discusses advancement in technology with the installation of lampost charging for people without home charging capabilities. He also references the savings he makes on purchasing a new electric vehicle and how he off-sets this against the cost of the car. He explains his road map to ownership and his ability to own his car for a lot longer than he would normally do with a fossil fuel car. 
Rob continues to inform us of the depreciation value of an old electric vehicle - losing 50% of its value in the first year. When electric vehicles first come out fear-mongering lead to the depreciation value the second-hand car price. Over time this has balanced out and nowadays a second-hand EV car can actually sell for more than a brand new one. 
Rob continues to explain that the rise in sales of electric vehicles is at a whopping 300% and this is not slowing down anytime soon. Waiting lists for EV vehicles are really high - he is on an 8-month waiting list for his new electric vehicle purchase. However, if you wanted to pay more for a car than you do have the option of buying now. 
An app that can help where the charging network is and how you can plan where you are going to stop and have a back-up plan at service breaks, especially if you go on a long journey. 
Rob continues to explain the Government's investment into EV charging and with private companies and the fast expansion of EV charging points. 
All of the cars are automatic and the gearbox is redundant. All the new tech bypasses this problem so gears are no longer needed. All-electric vehicles do have a gear - but there is no clutch. The manual car will not survive the next decade and the manual car production will seize in the next 5 years. 
During this episode, we also discuss the changes to the driving test due to the current pandemic and what the learner driver can face as a consequence. These include: 
Not allowed in the test centres No instructor allowed on a driving test  The compulsory wearing of a face mask  The test centre toilets are closed No small talk on driving tests  Track and trace compliance  Windows during the test where possible  The ending of the test once a serious fault has been committed.  We hope you enjoy this episode and please leave a review to help us bring this content to you in the future. 
Swan and Soto x