Transport Secretary Confirms Driving Test Backlog Extends to Autumn 2025, Not 2026
The Transport Secretary has confirmed that the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) will not achieve its seven-week driving test waiting time target until autumn 2025. This revised timeline pushes back the previous aim of summer 2026, which itself was an extension from the initial end of 2025 goal.
Currently, prospective drivers face an average waiting period of nearly 22 weeks to book a test. Before the Covid-19 pandemic, this wait was approximately five weeks.
Addressing a Committee of MPs, the Transport Secretary acknowledged public frustration and outlined governmental efforts to mitigate the issue. However, she noted that “demand is still very high” and significant work remains.
Measures Against Resellers and Speculative Bookings
In November last year, changes were announced to combat test slot reselling and inflated pricing. These included restricting test bookings solely to learner drivers themselves. An investigation in December uncovered instances of driving instructors being offered kickbacks of up to £250 monthly for their login details by touts.
Further adjustments to the booking system have been implemented: since the end of March, only two modifications (e.g., date or test centre) can be made to a booked slot. From 12 May, only pupils can book their own tests, and as of 9 June, test transfers are limited to the three test centres geographically closest to the original booking location. This latter measure aims to curb speculative bookings where learners secure any available slot, regardless of location, then attempt to swap it closer to home.
The Transport Secretary reported a 70% reduction in test swaps since the most recent changes, indicating less speculative booking activity. She articulated an aspiration to return to a system where learners are not waiting “months on end.”
Efforts to increase examiner numbers have seen a net increase of 147 examiners in the 12 months leading to May. Additionally, the DVSA plans to publish more detailed waiting time statistics, broken down by individual test centre, to provide a clearer picture of regional variations.
