Robert Kamugisha Paid £726 to Bypass Driving Test Queue as New Laws Target Resellers
Robert Kamugisha, a 21-year-old criminology student from Croydon, spent a significant portion of his savings, £726, to book three driving test slots via unofficial resellers. These operators exploited the extended waiting lists, which averaged 22.3 weeks nationally in Great Britain as of April 2026, by purchasing appointments and reselling them at inflated prices, far exceeding the official £62 fee.
New government regulations now mandate that only a learner driver can book their own test, a move designed to curb the illicit trade. This crackdown targets third-party entities utilising automated bots to acquire thousands of slots. Despite passing his test on the third attempt in December, Mr Kamugisha expressed feeling "scammed" by the exorbitant costs.
Black Market Exploitation and Instructor Involvement
Driving instructors have highlighted the proliferation of this black market, which intensified following pandemic-related backlogs. Sophie Stuchfield, a Watford-based instructor, described how individuals manipulated the system to bulk-book tests for resale. She reported receiving thousands of messages advertising test slots for hundreds of pounds, noting that some instructors themselves demand additional fees from learners on the day of the test, sometimes as much as £300.
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has been plagued by automated booking programmes, or 'bots', since the pandemic created a substantial backlog. Illicit operators capitalised on the demand, using these bots to secure tests on the official platform and subsequently resell them.
Regulatory Response and Industry Scepticism
The new legislation makes it illegal for anyone other than the learner driver to book or alter a driving test. This aims to prevent third parties from accessing the booking system using learners' details. While these changes are not expected to directly shorten waiting times, the government anticipates they will reduce wasted tests and provide more accurate data on demand, enabling the DVSA to reallocate resources more effectively.
However, Carly Brookfield, Chief Executive of the Driving Instructors Association, expressed scepticism regarding the efficacy of the new rules, suggesting they unfairly target instructors who previously assisted learners legitimately. She argued that the fundamental issue remains a severe shortage of available test slots. Simon Lightwood, the Minister for Roads and Buses, stated the government is taking action to address record waiting times, citing nearly two million tests delivered over the past year and the deployment of military driving examiners to boost capacity. Further changes in June will limit learners to swapping tests at only three local centres.
