Driving test backlog hits 630,000
Britain's driving test backlog has reached a new high of more than 630,000.
Some 631,472 future practical driving tests were booked as of the end of May, according to Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) figures.
That is up from 527,368 a year ago.
Learners can only have one test booked at a time.
Despite the growing demand, the number of tests conducted during the first five months of this year is 14% lower than the same period in 2024.
There were 757,867 tests taken between January and May, down from 877,387 a year earlier.
The number of tests taken between October 2023 and March 2024 was higher than normal because the DVSA temporarily deployed all eligible staff from other roles to act as examiners.
Learners appear to be heeding calls to wait until they are confident they can pass before taking a test.
May's pass rate matched the figure for April at 50.2%, up from 48.9% in May 2024 and the highest monthly figure since August 2021 (50.3%).
The DVSA previously attributed the backlog to 'an increase in demand and a change in customers' booking behaviour'.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said in April the Labour Government 'inherited an enormous backlog' but was 'acting fast' to tackle the issue, with at least 10,000 extra tests to be available each month.
She told the Commons' Transport Select Committee her department aimed to reduce the average waiting time for driving tests in Britain to seven weeks by summer 2026.
Analysis by the AA Driving School showed the average waiting time was 20 weeks in February.
The Government last month launched a consultation on amending the driving test booking system, in an attempt to stop bots mass-booking new slots so they can be resold on the black market for inflated prices.
We're consulting on changes to driving test booking rules. Options include:
• Restricting who can book tests • Removing test swaps between learners • Limiting location changes after booking
Have your say by 23 July: https://t.co/D649GkJn5E pic.twitter.com/39J1zpkbWH
— Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency (@DVSAgovuk) May 28, 2025
This will be conducted over eight weeks instead of the usual 12 to enable changes to be made sooner.
Other measures in response to the backlog include instructing the DVSA to offer additional overtime payments to incentivise instructors to conduct more tests.
Staff at the agency qualified to conduct tests are being asked to voluntarily return to the front line, while the number of permanent trainers for new examiners is being doubled.
Steve Gooding, director of motoring research charity the RAC Foundation, said: 'While congratulations are due to those candidates who passed their driving test and helped nudge the overall pass rate over 50%, there's little cause for celebration for applicants anxious to book a test slot anytime soon.
'We're not even at midsummer, yet learner drivers are already competing for test slots in November.
'We can only hope that the package of measures the Government announced will start to bite soon, alongside a sustained improvement in the pass rate as candidates make the most of the delays to ensure they are match-fit when their test day arrives.'
A DVSA spokesperson said: 'We know that many learners are still struggling to book driving tests, and we're working tirelessly to reduce waiting times and help more people get on the road.
'Despite this, there are currently over 630,000 learners who have a future test date secured – which is the highest number of test slots that we've ever seen booked.
'As we continue to make more tests available, the number of learners with a slot booked will continue to rise, providing more people with the opportunity to continue their learning journey.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Bloomberg
an hour ago
- Bloomberg
Honda Debuts Four-Wheeled Electric Bike for Last Mile Delivery
Move over bicycle couriers, Honda Motor Co. wants to use bike lanes for a new fleet of four-wheeled electric delivery vehicles. The Japanese automaker said Tuesday it plans to start small-scale production this year of an all-electric quadricycle, called the FastPort eQuad, for last mile delivery in North America and Europe.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
'Our city wants to charge us £5 to drive to the centre'
The introduction of the controversial Oxford congestion charge is to be debated by councillors this week. On June 17, Oxfordshire County Council officials will discuss the plan for a £5 charge for drivers to access the city centre along six routes. If councillors back the plan, a public consultation would begin on 23 June and the congestion charge could be introduced this autumn. If approved, the temporary congestion charge would be the first to launch in the UK for 20 years, following similar schemes in London and Durham. When we visited the city this week, Oxford residents told Yahoo News they had mixed feelings about the scheme. While bus companies in Oxford have welcomed the plan, businesses leaders and members of the public have all raised their opposition, with an online petition opposing the charge approaching 10,000 signatures. Yahoo News UK asked people in Oxford what they think of the congestion charge proposal: Conor Phelan, 27, a postdoctoral researcher at Oxford University and a cyclist, said: 'Overall, reducing the volume of traffic in Oxford is good. It will make the city safer, especially with the problem of cars in standstill traffic. 'One time I was on my bike cycling through standstill traffic and nearly got hit by a car door. 'I drive as well so I can understand the pain but ultimately, I back it because of what it will do in terms of disincentivising traffic and encouraging cycling." Angie Ingenfeld, 69, a tourist visiting Oxford from Bonn in Germany, said: 'I think it is very loud at the moment, with so much traffic in the city. We have to watch for the cars and we cannot enjoy the sightseeing so much." Her husband, Steve, 60, said: 'We parked at the Oxford park and ride because it was easy and cheap. If people want to go to the city to do their shopping, they could take that." Dan Roiser, 41, owner of the Peloton Espresso cafe, said: 'I think people who are against it often don't live in the city. I cycle to work. I don't like a city full of cars. But they should have invested more in public transport before bringing it in.' Ibrahim Ahmed, 27, co-director of Oxford computer service store GigaFix, said: 'From a business perspective, we are getting shafted from all angles. 'In a business like this, there's a lot of dropping boxes off. So for us it will make that more expensive.' 'I know a lot of other businesses who are struggling a lot and it breaks my heart really because it is their only source of income. People have been suffering and this might force them to close." But Joe Smith, 21, an Oxford Brookes University student working at Peloton Espresso, who backs the plan, said: 'A lot of business owners don't realise that where these types of pedestrianisation measures have happened, foot traffic has tended to improve." He added: 'Some of the difficulty in Oxford has come from the fact that the council has put the cart before the horse and hasn't yet invested in the infrastructure enough." Cab driver Abdul Wahid, 57, who has signed a petition against the scheme, said: 'I've signed it because it's going to affect the city. 'They think it will reduce traffic, but this is not London. It is local people living here, and they will just pay the fine. People have to take kids to school. They have to go to the hospital. 'My mother is disabled and I have to take her for appointments. With the congestion charge, I won't be able to afford to pay £5 every time we go. The cost of living is already very high. 'The council should make people's lives easier, not harder.' Ansar Hussain, 52, a cab driver, said: 'It is a bad idea. They say it is an environmental measure, but eventually all vehicles will be hybrid anyway so I think they are just trying to cash in." The proposals would see drivers pay a £5 congestion charge to go into Oxford city centre. Not every motorist would be affected - drivers such as carers, traders and disabled blue badge holders would be allowed to apply for a permit that would allow them to travel by car in the city. Permits would also be given to people with cars who live within the congestion charge area. The plan would be enforced by number plate recognition cameras and would apply along six roads. Hythe Bridge Street, St Cross Road, Thames Street and St Clement's Street would be part of the congestion charge from 7am to 7pm seven days a week, while Marston Ferry Road and Hollow Way would be affected between 7am and 9am and 3pm and 6pm on Monday to Saturday. The £5 charge would be payable online or by phone up until midnight on the day after a motorists goes through one of the six routes. The congestion charge is designed to be a temporary measure, to plug the gap until a different traffic calming scheme is ready. Oxfordshire County Council said the congestion charge would last a maximum of two years and is required because of delays to a trial of traffic filters, which cannot be introduced until after Botley Road in the city is reopened, expected sometime in summer 2026. The traffic filters scheme would again use number plate recognition cameras, but motorists without a valid permit could face fines of £70 (reduced to £35 if paid within 21 days) for driving down certain roads. "There's too much traffic in Oxford," said Oxfordshire County Council. "We want to create an attractive, thriving city with better buses, safer cycling, less congestion and cleaner air." An online petition, started by councillor Saj Malik, calling for the congestion charge to be stopped, has reached more than 9,000 signatures. He said is it "essentially another tax that will hit residents, workers and businesses hard, especially those who can least afford it". Read more: Oxford anti-congestion charge petition gets 6,500 signatures in three days (Oxford Mail) The Oxford Business Access Group is also against the congestion charge, accusing the council of deciding to "make it harder for customers to reach our valuable shops and small businesses". However, transport companies Stagecoach West and Oxford Bus have both welcomed the plans, saying they will make buses a more attractive alternative to cars. The plans have also led to a row between Oxfordshire County Council and Oxford City Council, who say they've not been properly included in the proposals.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
JLR adjusts FY26 EBIT margin forecast over uncertainties in auto industry
British luxury carmaker Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has revised its fiscal 2026 earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) margin forecast to 5%-7% from the previous 10%. This adjustment comes because of the uncertainties in the global auto industry, particularly due to US tariffs, reported Reuters. Shares of Tata Motors, JLR's Indian parent company, fell by up to 5.2% in early trading following the announcement. JLR also projected close to zero free cash flow for fiscal 2026. After the Trump administration imposed a 25% duty on foreign-made vehicles, the company, which makes more than a quarter of its sales from the US, paused shipments to the country. The carmaker is also looking at reallocating units to "accessible markets" to enhance profitability. The JLR news comes as US President Donald Trump signed an executive order yesterday to reduce tariffs on UK cars being exported to the US. As per the executive order released by the White House, the agreement reaffirms quotas and tariff rates on UK-made vehicles. The order allows 100,000 British automobiles to be imported to the US annually at a 10% tariff, lower than the 25% tariff imposed on other countries. The terms of this trade pact were outlined last month. Although JLR's Range Rover SUV lineup is manufactured in the UK, its Defender is produced in Slovakia, an EU member that has no trade pact with the Trump administration. JLR is evaluating pricing strategies in the US to mitigate tariff impacts, though it may be less impacted due to its affluent customer base that may absorb higher costs. However, Tata Motors is one of the most exposed to US duties among the Indian auto manufacturers, as JLR lacks local manufacturing in the country, unlike competitors such as Mercedes-Benz and BMW, reported the media outlet. In January, JLR and Tata Communications enhanced their partnership to improve JLR's connected vehicle ecosystem via the Tata Communications MOVE platform. "JLR adjusts FY26 EBIT margin forecast over uncertainties in auto industry" was originally created and published by Just Auto, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
