The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) is set to overhaul its online driving test booking service, following a government admission that the current system is a problematic 'legacy' platform. The update emerged during a Treasury Committee hearing this week, where the Labour government was pressed for guidance on its digital strategy.
Legacy Systems Hamper Public Services
Emran Mian, the permanent secretary of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, addressed the committee on 15 January 2026. He pinpointed the driving test booking portal as a key example of outdated government technology causing service issues.
"One of the challenges around the system for booking your driving test online has been some challenges with the fact that it's a legacy system," Mian stated. He confirmed that the Department for Transport (DfT) is now examining the service as part of its investment plans to deliver improvements for thousands of learner drivers.
Investment Trade-Offs and Digital Shortfalls
Mian explained that updating such legacy systems is often deprioritised when budgets for data and digital projects are "very, very tight." Instead, departments frequently opt for quick fixes that address immediate service problems rather than tackling the root cause.
He revealed that core government departments are now investing more strategically in modernising these old systems. His own department, for instance, is taking "a much closer approach" to managing this critical infrastructure.
Committee Scrutiny Amidst Billions Lost to Fraud
The Treasury Committee session was convened against a stark backdrop of public finance losses. The National Audit Office (NAO) found that the government lost an estimated £55 billion to £81 billion to fraud and error in the 2023-24 financial year.
The committee explored whether the Public Sector Fraud Authority (PSFA) and the Government Digital Service (GDS) have robust enough plans to use data analytics more effectively to combat this massive loss. Their current use of analytics has so far yielded only modest savings compared to the potential.
Discussions also covered the government's use of artificial intelligence (AI), public assurance over data analytics, and the reasons why centrally available anti-fraud digital tools are not mandatory for all departments.
The planned upgrade to the DVSA's driving test booking system represents a tangible step in the broader challenge of dragging vital public services into the digital age, while simultaneously trying to secure the public purse.
