Driving test delays: Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard MP welcomes DVSA “seven-point plan” after transport committee grilling

Watch more of our videos on ShotsTV.com 
and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565
Visit Shots! now
Hundreds of examiners are to be recruited to cut “sky-high” driving test waiting times, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has announced.

It comes after the boss of the DVSA apologised to local MP Alex Mayer at a special hearing of the Parliament’s Transport Committee, which Ms Mayer is a member of, after she and other MPs demanded action to help learner drivers get on the road quicker.

Now, just weeks later, the DVSA has responded by pledging to employ 450 driving examiners across the country and to review the 24-week booking rule as part of a wider seven-point plan to reduce waiting times to seven weeks by December 2025.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

That matters as waiting times for tests at Leighton Buzzard test centre have more than doubled, with learners facing an average wait of around 24 weeks - the highest possible wait time - with places right across the East of England facing similar hold-ups.

Alex Mayer MP at the Transport Select CommitteeAlex Mayer MP at the Transport Select Committee
Alex Mayer MP at the Transport Select Committee

During the committee hearing, Ms Mayer highlighted the case of young worker Kye from Dunstable who could not book a test until December 2025.

In response, Alex Mayer MP said: "I am pleased the DVSA has listened to the Transport Committee and taken action.

"Because for too many young people living locally and for those right across the country, the rite of passage of securing and passing a driving test has become a source of expense, confusion and misery.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“That includes for constituents like Kye whose story I highlighted to head of the DVSA at Committee, and who couldn’t find a test before Christmas – not this year but next! This is not just about inconvenience; it’s about people's lives.

“I welcome the timeline set for reducing the backlog – these are important first steps to protect learner drivers and support more people to hit the road. This is the power of select committees, and parliamentary scrutiny, in action."

News you can trust since 1861
Follow us
©National World Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.Cookie SettingsTerms and ConditionsPrivacy notice