Government announces plan to reduce driving test waiting times

The 7-point plan, which includes more driving test instructors, recognises that the government needs to take action to fix the driving test booking system and get new drivers on the road.

Waiting times for driving tests have remained high since the pandemic with some having to wait more than three months in Cumbria.

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Lilian Greenwood, Minister for the Future of Roads, 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.”