The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has intensified its crackdown on unfair driving test bookings, cancelling 450 tests and suspending 4,034 online bookings. This action follows the introduction of new rules on June 9, which restrict learner drivers to moving their test only to the three nearest test centres, rather than any centre across the UK.
New Rules Aim to Curb Touts
Labour Party Roads and Buses Minister Simon Lightwood stated: "Learners should be focusing on getting test-ready, not fighting an unfair booking system or paying over the odds to third-party touts. These new rules are helping to ensure driving tests go to the people who genuinely need them, rather than being snapped up and resold for profit." The MP for Wakefield and Rothwell praised the DVSA's action to cancel "dodgy" tests that violated the regulations.
DVSA Chief Executive Comments
DVSA chief executive Beverley Warmington added: "These reforms were about making sure that driving tests go to genuine learners, not to those who profit from exploiting them. Today's action demonstrates that we have the tools and the determination to enforce the new rules."
Booking Process Changes
When booking a driving test, learners will now be placed in a queue and informed of the expected wait time. This online method is faster than booking by phone, as phone lines are currently very busy. Tests can be booked up to 24 weeks in advance, with no waiting list or cancellation list available. The service operates from 6am to 11:40pm.
To book, learners need their UK driving licence number, a credit or debit card, and their driving instructor's personal reference number if they wish to check availability. Additionally, candidates must have lived in England, Wales, or Scotland for at least 185 days in the 12 months before their test date.
