Major changes to how driving tests are booked have come into force in an effort to battle a backlog which has seen some learners waiting six months to take the test. The new rules, which came into force on May 12, mean the only people who can book tests are the learners themselves.
End of Instructor Bookings
Previously, driving instructors could also book tests, but a BBC investigation last year found some teachers had been selling their logins to the booking website for up to £250 a month. As a result, automated bots had been booking out slots and re-selling them at inflated prices, with some learners forking out £500 for a test. The regular fee is £62.
Waiting Times Remain High
According to the AA Driving School, the average waiting time for a test is currently 22.4 weeks, or almost six months. Now one driving instructor has explained how the changes will affect learners.
Instructor's Perspective
The man, who runs Echo Driving School in South London, posted a TikTok video on Monday setting out the changes. "Tomorrow, May 12, is the big day," he said. "This is the day where, allegedly, it's going to make it easier for everybody to book a test."
"On a serious note, tomorrow's the day where no more driving instructors will be able to book your test for you. No more third parties. Yes, third parties will have, you know, their tests that they're doing. But, from tomorrow, only students can book their test. And you can only book locally to you, and you can only change it twice."
"You will still be able to swap test, now the way to do it is you would have to phone the DVSA, where they'll do your random checks for you, security checks and so forth, and then what will happen is you would give the reference number of the test you want to change to. So maybe your friend has got a test some time six months down the line and you know your one is even later so you will be able to change it, but you have to call the DVSA."
"I'm hoping that this will clear the backlog, but only time will tell and no one really knows whether it's going to work or not. But let's just hope, fingers crossed that this helps."
Additional Changes Coming
Another new regulation coming into force on June 12 will mean slots can only be moved to one of the three closest test centres to the original booking. This is intended to stamp out people booking slots regardless of location and then attempting to switch it to a more convenient place later.
The number of changes allowed for a single booking will also be cut from six to two from March 31.
Official Response
Beverley Warmington, DVSA’s chief executive, said: "Our priority is to stop learners being exploited by third parties, put them in control of their driving test and make the process fairer by clamping down on businesses that resell tests at inflated prices.
"These new measures help bring a halt to a system where the use of bots and third parties increases the amount some learners pay for a test and blocks test availability for many others. These measures will help free up appointments for genuine learners who are ready to take their test."
Industry Reaction
Emma Bush, managing director of AA Driving School, said today's changes are "unlikely to be the silver bullet which turns the tide on long waiting times", but acknowledged they "mark a shift towards overhauling the booking system for the better".
She added: "It is only part of the solution though. To really improve waiting times over a prolonged period, there needs to be unrelenting focus from the DVSA on retaining and recruiting driving test examiners."
The DVSA said it had 1,604 full-time equivalent driving examiners last month, which is the most since March 2018.
