A learner driver who is tackling virtual queues of up to 30,000 people to book a driving test claims the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) booking system is broken.
Learner drivers are encouraged to book a driving test on Monday morning’s at 6am, but face challenges as thousands of other people attempt to book a test, dealing with issues such as time lag and bots buying slots.
Timothy has spent six months trying to find a slot with no success, and after checking the DVSA website at all hours, signing up for cancellation alert apps and waking up at 6am on Monday morning’s to try book a driving test, he has chosen to book a test in another city, far from where he lives.
NHS IT support worker Timothy said: “My experience with the DVSA driving test booking system has become one of the most frustrating and inefficient services I have encountered.
“The system is broken.
“DVSA claims they are tackling companies who buy and sell test slots, but from a learner’s perspective, it feels like nothing has changed.”
He added his experience is exhausting and claimed even if a slot does show up, after using a paid app to be notified one has become available, the time lag getting past CAPTCHA and login results in the slot disappearing.
The average waiting time for a driving test in Great Britain at the end of March was 21.7 weeks, with the average waiting time for a driving test in England at the end of March being 22.4 weeks.
Drivers face waiting times of up to six months to get the opportunity to sit for a test, and some learner drivers don’t show up or cancel due to not being ready.
Timothy is calling for the DVSA to limit access to actual learners only, to hold back cancellations before releasing them, to end the practice of slot swaps for profit and to introduce regional waitlists.
Driving instructor Brian Gower said: “Getting a test is proving very hard as it appears bots and the like are buying tests and then selling them on at a huge mark up, which makes getting a test for the average student very hard.”
Learner drivers are tackling these issues by finding a driving test outside the area they rise in, booking areas in other regions, but due to being unfamiliar with the area, some students decrease their chances of passing as they’re driving on roads in unfamiliar territory.
The DVSA deploys enhanced bot protection to help stop automated systems from buying up tests unfairly, but these applications are constantly evolving and changing, and work on this is ongoing.
Apps and bots can result in people paying more for a test than the official test fee of £62, although using such services means candidates might not find out about any changes to their test.
The DVSA urged people to book their practical driving test on GOV.UK and to report any social media channels or posts who are offering unofficial test slots or bookings to the social media network.
Gower claimed there is also an issue of students not turning up to driving tests or turning up in vehicles that aren’t roadworthy, while the Covid-19 pandemic contributed significantly to the backlog of driving tests.
The DVSA have a seven-point plan which aims to help bring down waiting times across the country.
These proposals including recruiting and training 450 examiners, reviewing and improving the rules for booking driving tests, introduce tougher terms and conditions for the service driving instructions use to book and manage tests, consult on proposals to increase the waiting time to book another test in certain situations, increase the amount of notice needed to change or cancel a car driving test without losing the fee, explore changing the 24-week limit on how far ahead a test can be booked, and encourage learner drivers to be better prepared through the ‘Ready to Pass?’ campaign.
A DVSA spokesperson said: “Car practical test waiting times remain high due to an increase in demand and low customer confidence in driving test availability, resulting in a change in customers’ booking behaviour.
“We continue to work on implementing our seven-point plan to reduce waiting times and encouraging learner drivers to only book their driving test when they are ready.
“Since launching our plan in December 2024, we are making progress towards recruiting and training 450 driving examiners across Great Britain.”
Feature image: Free to use from Unsplash
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