Transport Committee Chair Ruth Cadbury MP has written a letter to the Government seeking further information on its plans to bring down waiting times for driving test slots.
The letter follows an evidence session on 4 December 2024 with the DVSA’s Chief Executive Loveday Ryder, and Roads Minister Lilian Greenwood MP. The letter also responds to correspondence the Committee received from the Minister on 18 December and 23 January.
DfT announced in December 2024 a list of steps to be taken by DVSA to address the situation. Among the 11 questions put to the Minister are:
· Whether a commitment to recruiting 450 driving examiners in the announcement was a restatement of an existing commitment.
· Whether DfT and DVSA can find ways to make the job of a driving examiner more attractive in order to hit recruitment targets. The Committee was previously told during the 4 December evidence session that it is “not possible” to increase examiners’ pay without also increasing the pay of all other DfT staff on the same pay grade.
· What further measures, including through legislation, the Government may take to prevent the “unscrupulous” reselling of driving test slots.
· For DfT to explain why, according to media reports based on Freedom of Information request responses, pass rates vary dramatically between driving test centres across the country.
· The timescale for completing an overdue IT upgrade that would help protect the driving test booking system from bots that are used to book up mass test slots.
Transport Committee Chair Ruth Cadbury said:
“MPs from across the country and across the House of Commons know from listening to their constituents that getting a grip of the DVSA must be a priority for the Government. People’s lives can’t be kept on hold while waiting absurd amounts of time to take a driving test they’ve paid through the nose for. This Committee will push for regular updates and detailed plans from DfT until this saga is resolved.”
Pic: House of Commons/Laurie Noble
