Driving take a look at backlog to be cleared by subsequent summer time, minister says

The transport secretary has pledged to scale back the variety of learner drivers in England ready greater than 5 months to sit down sensible assessments.

Heidi Alexander mentioned the federal government would intention to clear the backlog by subsequent summer time, offering a minimum of 10,000 additional driving assessments a month to assist sort out the difficulty.

Present driving take a look at wait instances are “completely unacceptable”, she advised parliament’s transport committee on Wednesday.

There’s a minimal six-month wait to e-book a driving take a look at in a number of areas of the UK, in keeping with knowledge from the AA.

The transport secretary mentioned the brand new measures would assist cut back common ready instances to not more than seven weeks by summer time 2026.

It means the federal government is ready to overlook its unique goal for ready instances by up eight months.

The Driver and Automobile Requirements Company (DVSA) had deliberate on reducing ready instances to seven weeks by the top of this yr. It has blamed an “improve in demand and a change in prospects’ reserving behaviour” for the backlog.

With a view to sort out the delays, Alexander revealed plans to double coaching capability so extra driving examiners could be obtainable.

She mentioned she was additionally asking these in different DVSA roles who’re certified, however not longer look at, to quickly “return to the frontline”.

She mentioned it could additionally reintroduce extra time pay incentives for everybody delivering driving assessments.

A document 1.95 million assessments had been booked final yr, however the authorities would now seek the advice of on modifications to the take a look at reserving system, Alexander added.

She mentioned there have been plans to crackdown on take a look at reserving bots which she mentioned had been “exploiting learners”.

Take a look at reserving bots are automated software program which might act a lot sooner than a human to quickly e-book an appointment on the DVSA web site.

Such bots can safe a number of take a look at slots and a few firms have used this know-how to resell driving take a look at slots at inflated costs.

Learner driver Millie Moyler is because of sit her take a look at this summer time – virtually 18 months since she began on the lookout for a slot in December 2023.

“It is had a large influence on my life,” the college scholar from Excessive Wycombe advised BBC Radio 5 Dwell.

Millie mentioned she had been held again by the delay and was “hopeful” she would go her long-awaited first strive in July.

The await a take a look at was a mere 10 weeks, in keeping with driving teacher Sue Howe.

“However since Covid, it is simply so tough to get a take a look at,” she advised the BBC on Wednesday.

The teacher from Swindon mentioned a scarcity of examiners was guilty: “In the event that they’re wanting examiners, they simply cannot produce the assessments.”

Emma Bush, managing director of AA Driving College, welcomed the “additional particulars of how the DVSA will meet its goal ready time of seven weeks by the top of the yr”.

“Learner drivers have been coping with frustratingly lengthy ready instances to e-book a driving take a look at for the reason that easing of pandemic associated restrictions a number of years in the past,” she mentioned.

“Many individuals, notably younger folks, must go their driving take a look at for his or her job or to entry schooling. Unblocking the system by creating additional assessments will assist guarantee persons are not being held again as a result of an absence of a driving licence.”