‘I travelled 10 hours for a driving test’: Desperate learners taking extreme measures over long waiting list
Why people are travelling for up to 10 hours to take a driving test
- Learner drivers across the UK are experiencing significant delays for driving tests, with an average waiting time of 22 weeks and over 638,000 individuals on the forward booking list.
- The backlog, largely attributed to Covid-19 lockdowns and the exploitation of test slots by resellers, is not expected to clear until November 2027, according to the National Audit Office.
- Many learners are taking drastic measures, such as travelling hundreds of miles to distant test centres in locations like Fort William or Carmarthen, to secure an available slot.
- The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) is introducing changes to the booking system, including restricting bookings to learners, limiting booking edits, and deploying military examiners to increase test availability.
- Industry experts emphasise that while these measures may offer some relief, sustained, long-term action, including increased recruitment and retention of examiners, is crucial to resolve the issue permanently.