Today, January 6, the DVSA announced new regulations to combat practices that are increasing the backlog of driving tests and may result in account closures.
Together with Lilian Greenwood, Minister for the Future of Roads, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) unveiled new plans at the end of 2024 to shorten wait times for new driving tests.
The DVSA will hire 450 driving examiners around Great Britain as part of this new initiative, and it is anticipated that these will begin testing in the upcoming months.
Only driving instructors or companies that hire driving instructors may utilize DVSA services to schedule automobile driving tests, according to new terms and restrictions that were introduced today.
The practical test business service agreement is only available for an approved driving instructor (ADIs), a motorcycle approved training body, a vocational driving instructor and a business that provides learner driver services and employs ADIs to provide driving tuition.
This service allows people to book driving and motorcycle tests on behalf of their pupuls, change, swap or cancel driving tests, manage their availability for car driving tests and manage the details of their business.
The new terms and conditions will outline that driving instructors and businesses must not book practical tests on behalf of learner drivers they are not teaching.
This is designed to stop instructors and businesses from using a learner driver's details to book a practical test which they have no intention of using.
The DVSA stated that this practice is used to create a placeholder so the test can be swapped to another driver at a later date.
This unfair practice has contributed to long delays for new driving tests, which has caused motorists to wait months after the pandemic.
If anyone breaks the new terms and conditions, the DVSA are able to issue them with a warning notice, suspend their account or even close their account.
In the event that the DVSA closes an account, the user must use normal public services to book a test or call the DVSA to book or manage the test by phone.
Commenting on the seven-step plan, Lilian Greenwood, MP for Nottingham South, said long waiting times were preventing learners from getting behind the wheel.
She added: "No one should have to wait six months when they're ready to pass, travel to the other side of the country to take a driving test or be ripped off by unscrupulous websites just because they can’t afford to wait.
"The scale of the backlog we have inherited is huge, but today’s measures are a crucial step to tackle the long driving test wait times, protect learner drivers from being exploited, and support more people to hit the road."
As part of the new measures, the DVSA also launched a call for evidence to "review and improve" the driving test booking system to ensure learners can book tests "easily and efficiently".
The call for evidence clarifies current rules and processes with the goal of developing proposals to improve the booking system in future.
In the call for evidence, the DVSA acknowledged that any potential changes would take time to complete but would help make the system fairer for learner drivers.
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