Driving test backlog tackled by new DVSA rules
The driving test backlog is being addressed by new plans announced by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA).
It has announced that from 8 April the required notice period for cancelling or changing the date of a test without incurring a fee will increase from three days to 10.
Furthermore, an additional 450 testers will be employed.
It has hoped that extending the notice period for cancelling tests will reduce the number of tests missed. Last year about 60,000 driving test bookings were wasted because people didn’t turn up.
Meanwhile, the DVSA is also running a consultation on proposals to increase the time learners who fail one test must wait to book another.
Loveday Ryder, DVSA’s chief executive, said: “Extending the short notice cancellation period for driving tests forms part of our seven-point plan to reduce driving test waiting times. This will encourage learners to change or cancel their test sooner so we can offer up those slots to other customers.”
Minister for the Future of Roads, Lilian Greenwood said: “The measures are another vital step in tackling the driving test backlog and ensuring that more learners who are ready to take their test can do so without unnecessary delays.
“These new measures will ensure that driving test appointments are used efficiently, encouraging learners to make adjustments to their schedules sooner, should they not be fully prepared.”
