Transport News understands that the Scottish Executive is putting both the permanent base at Bellshill and the mobile unit up for sale, but with no known daily running costs, there is no queue of takers.

The Bellshill buildings are quiet these days now that the first year's contract is up and the tuition staff have returned to their base at Ritchies Training Centre in Hobden Street, Glasgow.

The simulator programme, designed to train more truck drivers, is reckoned to have cost around £3 million to date, to acquire, build and run.