The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency has announced plans to try and reduce driving test waiting times.
The DVSA yesterday released their plans, which include a ‘seven-point plan’ to try and shorten the huge amount of people waiting months for a driving test.
The plans, which have been put in place after millions of motorists complained, will come into place in January.
They include recruiting 450 new driving examiners and introducing measures to stop third-party websites from exploiting learners through the resale of test slots at inflated prices.
Similarly, the DVSA plan to extend the cancellation period from three to 10 working days in a bid to reduce late cancellations and free up more test slots.
And they are also planning a review to try and improve the rules for booking driving tests.
Lilian Greenwood, the Minister for Future of Roads, hopes the move will stop learning drivers being ripped off.
She said: ‘Passing your driving test is a life changing opportunity for millions – but sky-high waiting times for tests in recent years have denied that opportunity to too many people.
‘No one should have to wait 6 months when they’re ready to pass, travel to the other side of the country to take a driving test or be ripped off by unscrupulous websites just because they can’t afford to wait.
‘The scale of the backlog we have inherited is huge, but today’s measures are a crucial step to tackle the long driving test wait times, protect learner drivers from being exploited, and support more people to hit the road.’
The DVSA’s ‘Ready to Pass?’ campaign will continue, a scheme which encourages learner drivers to take the right action to pass their driving test.
Across Britain, aspiring drivers are currently waiting more than five months for a driving test in some instances.
In England, the average waiting time is a shocking 21 weeks.
While in Wales, drivers typically have to wait 13 weeks, the waiting list in Scotland can take up to 15.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.
