Across Britain, the current average wait for practical driving tests has increased to 20 weeks. This is a drastic increase from only 14 weeks one year ago. In many areas, exam centres are fully booked for half a year in advance. Unfortunately, this perfect storm has created unbearable pressure for many learner drivers, preventing them from simply cruising towards obtaining their licences. Last year, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) delivered a record 1.92 million driving tests. Even with their best efforts, the backlog grows larger every day.
In response, Transport Secretary Alexander admitted that the government will miss its target on reducing wait times this year. He went on to characterize the industry as having “hit such a crisis” that something more drastic is now needed. To meet this soaring demand, the government has announced it will be bringing in thousands more driving tests a month.
Secondly, the DVSA will address the backlog by accelerating the recruitment of specialist trainers for examiners. Additionally, they’ll be able to offer more overtime opportunities to current examiners. This pilot project would allow each examiner to do an additional 40 tests per month. All together, that would mean at least 10,000 more tests a month. However, long wait times continue to be a critical issue facing many new potential drivers across the nation.
The government’s targets are further focused on reshaping the driving test booking system. An accelerated consultation is planned for May. Most importantly, it would address the development of automated bots from hijacking new slots and reselling them at significantly marked up prices.
Heidi Alexander voiced her concerns about the current booking system, stating, “We’re all shocked about the booking system, and bots and third parties being able to do what the Eavises have stopped for Glastonbury tickets … but frankly that’s a function of the shortage of supply, and isn’t in itself going to solve the problem.”
Ruth Cadbury, the chair of the transport committee, sounded a huge alarm. She explained that future examiners will likely be recruited from the existing cadre of driving instructors, who have better salaries. This would make creating new examiners faster more difficult, whether through hiring, training, examination or otherwise.
The DVSA’s response does not address the criticism about long waiting times people need to wait. “The waiting times that people are experiencing are totally unacceptable,” Alexander stated during a recent press conference.
The government has committed to tackling this issue head-on, with ongoing discussions aimed at enhancing the overall efficiency of the testing process. Pauline Reeves noted, “Since December 2024, we’ve made significant progress on implementing our plan to reduce waiting times. We know that many learner drivers are not seeing the immediate effects of the measures.”