By Arvind Kalsi
Delays in driving tests are continuing to cause frustration for learner drivers and instructors, with increasingly long waiting times and the rise of third-party booking services making it difficult to secure tests.
Patrick Williams, 58, a driving instructor who has been teaching since 2020 in Leicester, said the situation had worsened following the Covid pandemic and continues to do so.
“Since Covid, the waiting times have increased enormously due to tests being unavailable and harder to pick up,” Mr Williams said.
Due to lockdowns during the pandemic, many tests were suspended, creating a large backlog. Although testing resumed, many learners still face long waits normally lasting several months or longer before they can book a practical test.
Mr Williams made clear that the problem was being made worse by third parties who bulk book test slots as soon as they become available on the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency website.
“Third parties have been picking up a lot of tests which should be readily available to anyone trying to book tests through the DVSA website,” he said.
“They then sell them on at a premium price for learner drivers trying to book a test.”
Third parties in the UK are roughly charging people wanting to book driving tests anything from £200 to £500, with some learner drivers being attracted to these ludicrous prices due to being able to get tests quickly.
There are many risks when booking practical tests through third parties such as scams, data theft, wasted money and incorrect tests.
Mr Williams highlighted an example of this involving one of his own students, which showed how little care some third party sellers showed.
“One of my students picked up a test from a third party which turned out to be a disabled driving test which did not apply to the student,” he said.
The test went ahead, but Mr Williams said the situation caused obvious dissatisfaction for the examiner and test centre, as the booking was not appropriate for the student.
The example showed how third parties prioritise profit over anything else, booking in any available slot regardless of who it was intended for.
Mr Williams believes the growth of these third party booking services are adding a further strain to an already overburdened system, making it hard for learners to progress, and serves as a warning for learner drivers when getting tests booked through third parties.
