What's happened
The UK faces a prolonged driving test backlog, with waits averaging 22 weeks. Despite government efforts, including recruiting military examiners and new booking rules, the target to reduce waits to seven weeks by end of 2025 will not be met until November 2027. Learners are resorting to extreme measures to secure tests.
What's behind the headline?
The persistent backlog exposes systemic flaws in the UK's driver testing system. Despite multiple recruitment campaigns, the DVSA has only added 83 examiners since 2021, far short of the 400 target. This staffing shortage, combined with increased demand and automated booking bots, has created a perfect storm of delays. The government’s measures, such as deploying military examiners and restricting booking rules, will likely provide only marginal relief. The real issue lies in the structural failure to attract and retain examiners, which will continue to hinder progress until pay and safety concerns are addressed. The reliance on third-party resellers highlights vulnerabilities in the system, risking exploitation and unfair practices. The delay until November 2027 means learner drivers will face ongoing uncertainty, affecting mobility and employment prospects. This situation underscores the need for a comprehensive overhaul of the testing infrastructure to ensure timely access and prevent exploitation.
What the papers say
The Independent reports that the backlog remains at an average of 22 weeks, with many learners resorting to extreme measures such as traveling long distances or paying up to £500 to secure test slots. The Guardian highlights that only 83 examiners have been recruited since 2021 despite 19 campaigns, and the target to cut waits to seven weeks will not be met until November 2027. Both sources emphasize the systemic staffing issues and the impact on learner drivers. The Scotsman notes that Scottish wait times are similarly prolonged, with an average of over 21 weeks, and points out that the government’s recruitment efforts have fallen short, with many examiners quitting due to pay and safety concerns. The NAO's recent report criticizes the DVSA for slow response and reliance on automated booking bots, which exacerbate the backlog and exploitation. Overall, the sources agree that the backlog is a systemic failure, with government measures providing limited immediate relief and the target date for resolution pushed back to late 2027.
How we got here
The backlog originated during the COVID-19 pandemic, which halted 1.1 million tests. The DVSA has struggled to increase examiner numbers due to high attrition over pay and safety concerns. Efforts to address demand include deploying military examiners and restricting test bookings to prevent exploitation by resellers.
Go deeper
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The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency is an executive agency of the UK Department for Transport.
It carries out driving tests, approves people to be driving instructors and MOT testers, carries out tests to make sure lorries and buses are safe to drive,
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The National Audit Office is an independent Parliamentary body in the United Kingdom which is responsible for auditing central government departments, government agencies and non-departmental public bodies.