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The Independent UK

National

Neil Lancefield

EXPLAINED: The huge amount of people waiting for a driving test amid backlog | Rare Historical Photos

Simon Lightwood DVSA Roads Britain

The number of learner drivers with a future practical driving test booking in Britain has reached a record high of 668,128 by the end of September, marking a 15% increase from the previous year.
This surge indicates a significant backlog, which the DVSA attributes to increased demand and people booking tests much earlier, despite 168,644 tests being conducted last month, a 14% rise compared to the same month a year prior.
Roads minister Simon Lightwood welcomed the increase in tests, stating the government is addressing a 'broken system' by incentivising examiners and nearly doubling the number of trainers to unlock more test slots.
The Transport Secretary aims to reduce the average driving test waiting time from 22.3 weeks in June to seven weeks by summer 2026.
The government is also consulting on amending the booking system to prevent bots from reselling slots at inflated prices, while the pass rate last month fell to a six-month low of 49.9%.

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