Hundreds of driving examiners to be recruited to cut waiting times

The Government has announced that hundreds of driving examiners will be recruited in a bid to reduce “extreme” waiting times for tests.

Future Minister for Roads Lillian Greenwood said, “Nobody should have to wait six months to pass their driving test” and admitted there was a “huge” backlog.

The recruitment drive is part of a wider plan which the government says will reduce waiting times to seven weeks by December 2025.

Driving instructors have branded the current system a “nightmare” and expressed doubt that the proposed changes will make any material difference.

Figures released by the Department for Transport (DfT) earlier this year showed that the number of driving tests reached a record high of 1.9 million in the 12 months to the end of March.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has now put together a plan to tackle long waits, with learners having to pay more for tests that are booked by third parties trying to make a profit.

The measures announced include the recruitment and training of 450 driving examiners in Great Britain.

To discourage late cancellations the DVSA will extend the period for changing or canceling a test without losing money from three working days to 10 working days in advance.

There will also be a consultation on proposals to increase the amount of time for booking new tests for learners who fail after making serious or dangerous mistakes. Learner drivers currently have to wait 10 working days before being able to book another test.

The existing rules for tests to be booked up to 24 weeks in advance will also be looked at to see if learners can still sign up further ahead.

Ms Greenwood said passing a driving test was “a life-changing opportunity for millions of people”, but “excessive waiting times for tests in recent years have deprived too many people of that opportunity”.

He said, “No one should have to wait six months when they are ready to pass, travel to another part of the country to take a driving test or be duped by dishonest websites because they can’t wait.” ,

“The scale of the backlog we have inherited is huge, but today’s measures are an important step forward in tackling long driving test waiting times, protecting learner drivers from exploitation and helping more people get on the road Are.”

Learner driver Kitty Bell said she had booked a test for December 16, but a few weeks ago she “panicked” and delayed it.

The Durham University student took a mock test with her instructor and, under pressure, said she “forgot everything” so she decided she needed more practice.

Hoping to get a new testing slot in March, Ms Bell was disappointed to learn that the earliest she could get an appointment was for May 2025.

“It’s crazy to have five months to wait,” he said.

Diana Mulren has been teaching trainee drivers in Hendon, north-west London, for more than 40 years, and is part of a WhatsApp group of local instructors who swap tests among themselves for their students.

He described the current system as “an absolute nightmare” and said that students were encouraged to take the test even if they were unwilling to endure months of waiting to try again.

Mrs Mulren said the DVSA had failed to adequately address the issue of test slots being booked by brokers.

She said adding more driving testers only increases the number of tests that can be prevented by third parties, and she can’t see how that is preventing those businesses from operating.

“They should stop all bookings other than students. One credit card, one license, one exam. It’s over,” he said.

The government says new terms and conditions for driving tests will come into force on 6 January 2025 which “make it clear that driving instructors and businesses should not book driving tests on behalf of learner drivers they are not teaching “.

It says that only driving instructors or businesses that employ instructors can use the service to book a car driving test.

Helen Ansell has worked as a trainer in Cornwall for four years and said she had “not had much hope” that the proposals would change anything.

He suggested that students should keep a training log to ensure that learner drivers were not taking up test slots when they were not ready.

“Once they have done a certain number of hours, say 20 hours, with an instructor, only then can they book the test,” he said.

The BBC has contacted the DfT for comment on driving instructors’ concerns.

Additional reporting by Anna Lamche