The UK government is poised to enact a significant legislative change to driving test rules in a bid to tackle a massive backlog that has left over 600,000 learner drivers waiting for an exam.
Cracking Down on Exploitation
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander confirmed the plans while speaking to the Transport Select Committee. The central reform will see a ban on third parties, including driving instructors, from using the official DVSA booking system.
Only the learner driver themselves will be permitted to book a test, a move designed to prevent automated online "bots" from hoarding slots and reselling them at inflated prices.
The Department for Transport recently concluded a consultation on how to combat these touts, and this new rule is the direct result.
New Limits on Test Changes
Alongside the booking restriction, the government will introduce strict new limits on how learners can alter their test appointments. Once a test is booked, a candidate will be allowed a maximum of two changes.
This limit covers any combination of moving the date, swapping the time, or changing the test location. After two amendments, the booking must be cancelled and a new one made, potentially sending the learner back to the end of the queue.
Ms Alexander stated, "We are going to be limiting the number of times that a driver can move or swap a test, and we will also limit the area that they can move a test to once they've booked it."
Industry Backing and Examiner Retention
The policy has received support from motoring organisations. Steve Gooding, director of the RAC Foundation, backed the move, arguing that genuine candidates should be prioritised over those "hoping to make a quick buck".
He emphasised that the ultimate goal must be a return to pre-pandemic waiting times, a task being aided by the recruitment of new examiners and a temporary "platoon" of military examiners.
To further bolster examiner numbers, the Transport Secretary announced an extraordinary retention payment of £5,000 for driving examiners next year. This will be split between payments in March and September 2026.
"Anecdotally, we're hearing that this is stopping some driving examiners from retiring early or encouraging them to delay their retirement," Ms Alexander added, acknowledging that more progress is needed to clear the backlog.
