Driving test backlog in UK passes 630,000
More than 630,000 learner drivers are still waiting to take their practical driving tests, according to new figures from the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency.
It has revealed that at the end of May the driving test backlog in the UK had reached 631,472. This is up from 527,368 a year ago.
Meanwhile, despite the growing demand, the number of tests conducted during the first five months of this year fell from 877,387 between January and May 2024 to 757,867 – a reduction of 14%.
To address the lengthening backlog, the government announced a series of new measures in April.
As part of its Plan for Change, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander has announced that the DVSA will reassign qualified members in other roles within the organisation to carry out driving tests. It will also double the number of permanent trainers to tackle the backlog, and reintroduce overtime pay incentives for those conducting driving tests.
It is hoped this will reduce waiting times to seven weeks by the summer of 2026.
Significant progress
DVSA driver services director Pauline Reeves said: “Since December 2024, we’ve made significant progress on implementing our plan to reduce waiting times. But we know that many learner drivers are not seeing the immediate effects of the measures.
“The further action which the Secretary of State has announced will help us to accelerate those measures, including expanding training capacity for newly recruited driving examiners so more of them can start carrying out driving tests sooner.”
