Driving Test Backlog and Waiting Times
The backlog for driving tests is not expected to be reduced to the target average waiting time of seven weeks until autumn next year, according to the Transport Secretary.
Data from the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) indicate that the average wait time to book a driving test last month was nearly 22 weeks.
Last November, Heidi Alexander announced a series of changes aimed at reducing long waiting times and preventing test slots from being booked up by automated bots and then resold at inflated prices.
Among the changes already implemented is a policy allowing only learners themselves to book their test slots.
Before the Covid-19 pandemic, the average wait time for a driving test was approximately five weeks.
The DVSA initially set a target to reduce the average waiting time to seven weeks by the end of 2025. However, Alexander later extended this target to summer 2026 but acknowledged last November that even this revised deadline would not be achievable.
Government Response and Ongoing Challenges
Speaking to a Committee of MPs on Wednesday, Alexander expressed understanding of the frustrations experienced by learner drivers and emphasized that the government has taken significant steps to address the issue.
"Demand is still very high," she said, acknowledging that there remains considerable work to be done.
The BBC has frequently received reports from learner drivers frustrated by the difficulty of booking tests at convenient times and locations.
Some learners have resorted to purchasing test slots from resellers charging prices many times higher than the official cost of a driving test.
A BBC investigation in December uncovered that some driving instructors were being offered kickbacks of up to £250 per month to sell their login details to touts.
Recent Changes to the Test Booking System
In recent months, several modifications to the test booking system have been introduced to combat these issues.
At the end of March, a new rule limited the number of changes to a booked slot to two, such as changes to the test date or test centre location.
Since 12 May, only the learner themselves has been permitted to book their driving test, preventing instructors or others from making bookings on their behalf.
From 9 June, if a learner wishes to move their test, they can only transfer it to one of the three test centres closest to the original booking location.
This measure aims to prevent learners from booking the earliest available slot at any location and then swapping it to a more convenient centre near their home.
The Transport Secretary informed MPs that it is too early to draw definitive conclusions but noted evidence of reduced speculative booking since the latest changes were implemented. For example, she reported a 70% decrease in the volume of test swaps.
"My aspiration is to get us back down to a point where when someone is booking a test, they're not having to wait months on end to get one, which is the situation for some people in some locations at the moment," she said.
Recruitment of Driving Examiners and Data Transparency
One previously highlighted issue is the recruitment and retention of sufficient numbers of driving examiners.
Alexander stated that there has been a net increase of 147 examiners in the 12 months leading up to May.
She also commented on the published average wait time figures, describing them as "not particularly helpful" and announced plans to change the routine publication of statistics to include breakdowns by individual driving test centres.
