Learners told 'it can't get much worse' as test list reaches 'maximum wait'

Learner drivers are being made to wait more than five months to secure a slot at four out of five test centres, according to recent statistics. As of May 5, 258 locations in Britain had the maximum possible waiting time of 24 weeks for a test, accounting for 81% of all sites.

This figure has seen an increase from 161 at the beginning of the year. The AA Driving School, which obtained these figures from the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), warned that the situation "cannot get much worse".

The average waiting time across all test centres has now reached 22 weeks, a significant increase from 14 weeks in February 2024.

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The DVSA attributes this backlog to a surge in demand and individuals booking their tests much earlier than previously. Officials remain hopeful that an increase in the number of tests conducted will help reduce waiting times.

In June, the number of future bookings in the DVSA's system was 122,000 higher compared with the same month the previous year. The National Audit Office, a public spending watchdog, recently announced it will investigate the "root causes" of these delays to booking tests, and "how the DVSA is responding".

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander stated in April that the Labour Government "inherited an enormous backlog" but assured they were "acting fast". She informed the Commons Transport Select Committee that her department aimed to reduce the average waiting time to seven weeks by summer 2026.

A Government consultation on revising the test booking system concluded last week. It proposed a plan to prevent bots from mass-booking new slots for resale at inflated prices on the black market.

The Department for Transport has also directed the DVSA to offer extra overtime payments to encourage instructors to conduct more tests. Staff at the agency who are qualified to conduct tests are being asked to voluntarily return to active duty, while the number of permanent trainers for new examiners is set to double.

Emma Bush, managing director of AA Driving School, said: "With the vast majority of driving test centres now showing waits at the maximum the system will allow, the situation cannot get much worse. New measures designed to start bringing down waiting times were implemented at the start of April by the DVSA.

"There are signs of recovery though, putting both the industry and learners on tenterhooks for more signs of improvement in the coming months.

"While we would expect these changes to take a few months to show a positive impact, it is still disappointing to see that learners are continuing to face an uphill battle when it comes to booking their driving test."

DVSA chief executive Loveday Ryder said: "DVSA's goal is to make booking a driving test easier and fairer for learner drivers. We are making progress on our plans.

"We're really grateful to everyone who has responded to our recent consultation, including learners, parents and driving instructors. We're now analysing the survey responses. Using your feedback, we'll be able to plan our next steps on improving car test booking rules."