NEW data has suggested that some Cumbrian learner drivers face delays of more than 10 weeks when booking driving tests. 

A Freedom of Information request by Adrian Flux motor insurance brokers to the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) uncovered that in the UK, learners face on average a 15-week delay after booking a test.

The DVSA data also broke this statistic down into regions and it was discovered that in Cumbrian regions such as Barrow-in-Furness amd Workington there was a 10-week waiting time. 

The waiting time in Carlisle was listed as 11 weeks.

The Covid-19 lockdowns have been noted as the reasons for these backlogs, however, industrial action taken by civil servants, including driving test examiners, has only exacerbated this waiting time. 

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Glenn Jackson is a driving instructor in Carlisle and believes that these nationwide delays are having a big knock-on effect for learners in the city.

He said: "The main concerns I have are out of area students, some as far away as Manchester, Glasgow and even further booking tests [in Carlisle] because their local test centre has a very long waiting time.

"They have every right to go wherever they choose to attempt their test, however, unchecked, this drastically decreases the availability for local area students."

Mr Jackson also explained that those who do not pass on their first attempt can suffer from longer delays.

However, Mr Jackson gave some advice to Carlisle's learner drivers who are looking to try and cut these delays.

He said: "I encourage my students to book their pratical test as soon as possible once they have their theory. 

"Although 11-weeks is stated as an average wait for your driving test, students who wish to bring their test forward can do so by checking for cancellations on the DVSA website."

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