Driving take a look at backlog to be cleared by means of subsequent summer season, UK pledges

The delivery secretary has pledged to scale back the collection of learner drivers in England ready greater than 5 months to take a seat sensible checks.

Heidi Alexander stated the federal government would intention to transparent the backlog by means of subsequent summer season, offering a minimum of 10,000 further riding checks a month to assist take on the problem.

Current riding take a look at wait instances are “totally unacceptable”, she informed parliament’s delivery committee on Wednesday.

There is a minimal six-month wait to e book a riding take a look at in numerous spaces of the United Kingdom, consistent with knowledge from the AA.

The delivery secretary stated the brand new measures would assist scale back reasonable ready instances to not more than seven weeks by means of summer season 2026.

It approach the federal government is ready to leave out its unique goal for ready instances by means of up 8 months.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) had deliberate on chopping ready instances to seven weeks by means of the top of this yr. It has blamed an “increase in demand and a change in customers’ booking behaviour” for the backlog.

In order to take on the delays, Alexander printed plans to double coaching capability so extra riding examiners could be to be had.

She stated she was once additionally asking the ones in different DVSA roles who’re certified, however no longer longer read about, to briefly “return to the frontline”.

She stated it will additionally reintroduce additional time pay incentives for everybody turning in riding checks.

A file 1.95 million checks had been booked remaining yr, however the govt would now seek the advice of on adjustments to the take a look at reserving device, Alexander added.

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

Test reserving bots are automatic instrument which will act a lot sooner than a human to abruptly e book an appointment at the DVSA website online.

Such bots can protected a couple of take a look at slots and a few firms have used this era to resell riding take a look at slots at inflated costs.

Emma Bush, managing director of AA Driving School, welcomed the “further details of how the DVSA will meet its target waiting time of seven weeks by the end of the year”.

“Learner drivers have been dealing with frustratingly long waiting times to book a driving test since the easing of pandemic related restrictions several years ago,” she stated.

“Many people, particularly young people, need to pass their driving test for their job or to access education. Unblocking the system by creating extra tests will help ensure people are not being held back due to a lack of a driving licence.”