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The Government is expected to miss its target for clearing the record-high backlog of driving tests by as much as eight months, according to Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander.
Speaking to the Transport Select Committee, Ms Alexander acknowledged the “unacceptable” waiting times facing learner drivers, attributing the issue to a surge in demand and shifts in booking behavior. She stated that while the Government “inherited an enormous backlog,” efforts are being made to address the problem, including making an additional 10,000 driving tests available each month.
Currently, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has set a goal to bring down the average waiting time for practical driving tests in the UK to seven weeks by the end of this year. However, Ms Alexander revealed that the Department for Transport now expects to meet that target by summer 2026 instead.
To speed up progress, the DVSA is introducing a range of measures: qualified staff are being encouraged to return to frontline testing voluntarily, and the number of trainers for new examiners will be doubled. Additionally, driving examiners conducting extra tests will receive overtime incentive payments.
Ms Alexander also announced an upcoming consultation on changes to the test booking system. The move aims to crack down on the use of bots that book multiple test slots and resell them at inflated prices, a practice that has contributed to booking delays.
Recent data highlights the scale of the problem. The AA Driving School reported that average wait times reached 20 weeks in February—up from 14 weeks a year earlier. The number of test centres with the maximum waiting time of 24 weeks nearly doubled over the same period, rising from 94 to 183. Meanwhile, analysis by the PA news agency and the RAC Foundation found that, as of March 31, a record 583,000 driving tests were booked for future dates.
Ms Alexander said the new package of measures should allow the Government to meet the seven-week average waiting time target by next summer. In a statement from the Department for Transport, she emphasized the urgency of the situation: “We inherited an enormous backlog of learners ready to ditch their L plates but being forced to endure record waiting times. We can’t deliver on our Plan for Change if thousands remain stuck, their ambitions on hold.”
Pauline Reeves, Director of Driver Services at the DVSA, noted that while steps taken since December 2024 have made progress, more action is needed to produce visible results for learner drivers. She said the new initiatives will help fast-track the training of new examiners, allowing more tests to be carried out sooner.
Steve Gooding, Director of the RAC Foundation, acknowledged the efforts but warned that there is no quick solution. He urged learners to be as prepared as possible for their tests, noting that the pass rate currently sits below 50%.
