Driving Tests: Standards
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what modelling her Department undertook to inform its decision to remove instructor-booked driving tests to reduce waiting times.
Answered by Simon Lightwood
The measures the Secretary of State for Transport, announced on 12 November are designed to make the practical driving test booking process fairer, providing all learners with equal access to the booking system and ensuring that everyone pays the prescribed fee.
The decision follows a call for evidence and a public consultation that many in the industry responded to. Further detail on the rationale will be provided in the consultation report which will be published in due course.
The introduction of the 10-day cancellation period is intended to encourage responsible behaviour from learner drivers to consider their test readiness and to notify DVSA in good time if they are unable to attend.
The number of learner drivers who fail to attend their driving test represents less than 3% of all tests taken which accounts for around 60,000 tests. With unprecedented demand for tests DVSA is doing all it can to further reduce unused test slots and encourage learners to inform them so that the test slot can be utilised.
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) driving examiners that are supporting DVSA will be based at the driving test centre with the highest demand near their MoD base or home location.
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