BBC issues correction after false Scottish Government claim
After showing clips of several learner drivers who have been caught up in the backlog, a BBC Scotland journalist said: "There is some good news, though. The Scottish Government say they're aiming to cut the waiting times for us to seven weeks by summer 2026."
The journalist added: "They say there will be the addition of 10,000 tests, and they're looking at how to block bots from booking test dates."
READ MORE: How does the UK-France 'one in, one out' asylum deal work?
Driving tests are not devolved in Scotland, meaning the Scottish Government is not involved and does not have any responsibility for waiting list times.
It is the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) – an executive agency of the UK Government's Department for Transport – which is responsible for conducting driving tests in the UK.
According to the UK Government, the average waiting time for driving tests in England stands at nearly 21 weeks, which is higher than the 15 week average in Scotland.
BBC Scotland went on to issue a correction on social media beneath the video, where it said: "Correction: This video refers to the Scottish government and it should have said UK government."
(Image: @BBCScotlandNews, via Twitter/X) BBC Scotland has since deleted the video and the following correction tweet, but it is still available on YouTube at the time of writing.
Responding to the correction before it was deleted, Transport Secretary Fiona Hyslop said: "Pretty serious don't you think? - and it's still being used/up? Basic stuff here to make a mistake about"
(Image: @BBCScotlandNews, via Twitter/X) BBC Scotland has been contacted for comment.
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