Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander has announced initiatives to combat long waiting times for driving tests in England, with plans to offer an additional 10,000 tests monthly. Current wait times exceed five months in many regions, prompting the government to aim for a significant reduction to a maximum of seven weeks by summer 2026. The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) attributes rising demand and booking behavior changes to the backlog. Strategies include increasing examiner training capacity, reinstating overtime pay incentives, and addressing automated booking platforms exploiting learners for profit.
Heidi Alexander emphasized that current driving test waiting times are 'totally unacceptable'. The government is committed to cutting backlog wait times significantly by summer 2026.
Despite a high demand leading to longer wait times, the government will implement measures such as doubling training capacity for driving examiners to resolve the ongoing crisis.
The transport secretary indicated a strong push against test booking bots, which have been exploiting learners and contributing to the increased difficulty in securing practical test appointments.
The DVSA had reported a record 1.95 million driving tests booked last year, revealing the challenges faced due to booking behavior shifts and rising demand.
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