Measures to sort out driving take a look at ready instances are failing, says the AA Driving College, as new information reveals they’re rising each month.
Freedom of data information from the DVSA, accessed by the AA Driving College, reveals the common ready time for a driving take a look at at the beginning of February was 14.8 weeks. It has risen incrementally in every interim month since to 17.8 weeks at the beginning of Might – a rise of 20 per cent.
The information additionally reveals a 33% rise within the variety of take a look at centres with common ready instances of greater than 5 months, rising from 94 at the beginning of February to 125 at the beginning of Might.
General, at the beginning of Might, the overwhelming majority of take a look at centres (93%) had common ready instances in extra of the pre-pandemic common of six weeks.
Half (51%) of take a look at centres have seen common ready instances improve this yr; solely a fifth (20%) have seen an enchancment.
Decreasing the driving take a look at backlog and enhancing ready instances for learners is a key precedence in The AA’s Motoring Manifesto – which outlines important transport priorities to all political events forward of the final election in July.
Camilla Benitz, Managing Director AA Driving College, stated: “Sufficient is sufficient. The extra take a look at slots the DVSA added to the system between October and March have made no distinction to the common ready time learners up and down the nation are going through.
“In truth, learners confronted longer common ready instances in Might than they did in February.
“Extra must be accomplished to deal with this problem. Having the ability to drive isn’t a luxurious – for many individuals it’s an absolute necessity to get them to work, training and employment.
“We have to see a renewed dedication from the DVSA to make extra driving take a look at slots out there, but in addition to recruiting and retaining extra examiners so extra learner take a look at slots don’t come on the expense of different important DVSA companies, comparable to driving teacher coaching exams, which we’ve got seen falling availability of not too long ago.”
Regional information
71 take a look at centres had common waits of 24 weeks (the utmost the system will enable to be recorded) on each February fifth and Might sixth:
| Ashford (Kent) | Isleworth (Fleming Method) |
| Aylesbury | Lochgilphead |
| Ballater | Loughborough |
| Banbury | Loughton (London) |
| Barking (Tanner Avenue) | Mill Hill (London) |
| Basildon | Morden (London) |
| Belvedere (London) | Northampton |
| Bishops Stortford | Nottingham (Colwick) |
| Bletchley | Nuneaton |
| Bristol (Avonmouth) | Oban |
| Bristol (Kingswood) | Orkney |
| Bromley (London) | Oxford (Cowley) |
| Buckie | Penzance |
| Chelmsford (Hanbury Street) | Pinner (London) |
| Cheltenham | Studying |
| Chertsey (London) | Redhill Aerodrome |
| Chingford (London) | Rugby |
| Chippenham | Slough (London) |
| Clacton-on-Sea | Southall (London) |
| Coventry | Southampton (Maybush) |
| Culham LGV | Southend-on-Sea |
| Dunoon | Stevenage |
| Eastbourne | Swindon |
| Enfield (Brancroft Method) | Swindon LGV |
| Farnborough | Taunton |
| Folkestone | Tilbury |
| Gillingham | Tolworth (London) |
| Gloucester | Tunbridge Wells |
| Goodmayes (London) | Uxbridge (London) |
| Greenford (Horsenden Lane) | Wanstead (London) |
| Guildford | Warwick (Wedgenock Home) |
| Hastings (Ore) | Watford |
| Hendon (London) | West Wickham (London) |
| Hinckley | Winchester |
| Islay Island | Wooden Inexperienced (London) |
| Yeading (London) |
Take a look at centres which elevated their common ready time between February and Might to 24 weeks embrace: Barnet (London), Basingstoke, Dorchester, Greenham, Hornchurch (London), Inveraray, Ipswich, Kettering, Maidstone, Newport (Isle of Wight), Nottingham (Chilwell), Plymouth and Whitby.
