MPs to debate driving test availability amid 19-week waits

Learner drivers have travelled more than 100 miles away from home for their tests in a bid to overcome lengthy waits, an MP has warned.

Labour’s Peter Swallow said congestion in the system has acted as a “brake on opportunities and growth” for young people who want to leave their L-plates behind.

The Bracknell MP said he has heard from constituents who travelled from his Berkshire patch to Wales and the Isle of Wight for their licences, as the average waiting time for a car practical test hit 19 weeks in September, according to the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA).

The Agency had more than half a million (571,047) practical tests booked as of October 7, with 89,349 slots available within the 24-week booking window.

Mr Swallow, speaking to the PA news agency ahead of a Westminster Hall debate on the issue on Wednesday, said: “Driving test delays are a barrier for my constituents, and a brake on opportunities and growth for young people in Bracknell.”

He added: “I’ve heard from constituents travelling to the Isle of Wight and Wales just to get a test. We’ve inherited a huge backlog from the Tories who were asleep at the wheel over this issue.

“I was elected to break down barriers to opportunity and this one is an immense frustration I’m keen to work to improve. I hope the debate on Wednesday provides a chance to get this issue back on the road and headed towards a solution.”

The DVSA said it is buying back annual leave from examiners and had begun efforts to recruit 450 more in a bid to reduce the gap between theory and practical tests.

On third-party booking services and bots, the DVSA changed its terms and conditions in January 2023 to help block them from selling tests at a profit, and has closed 705 business accounts and issued 766 suspensions since then.

Loveday Ryder, the DVSA’s chief executive, said: “In the past financial year alone, we’ve provided almost two million tests, and I was delighted to meet the Transport Secretary (Louise Haigh) recently to discuss how we can continue to increase the number of tests by recruiting more examiners while tackling bots and those exploiting learners.

“DVSA want to see more learners passing first time, so we’re working with the driver training industry to educate and advise learners on what they can do to prepare and improve their likelihood of passing.

“Learners can check out our Ready to Pass campaign and use our checklist to make sure they’ve had enough lessons so they can drive safely and are ready to pass first time.”

Greg Smith, a Conservative shadow transport minister, said his government successfully handled backlogs at the Passport Office in 2022, which shows clearing the DVSA delays “can be done”.

He said: “In so many places in the UK, freedom and opportunity only come with the keys to your first car.

“In government, we oversaw the DVSA creating more than a million extra tests since the pandemic but because of strikes and a stronger economy, even that wasn’t enough to clear the backlog.

“Labour now need to carry on this progress and make beating the backlog a priority. The amazing turnaround we’ve overseen at the Passport Office shows it can be done.”