Labour accused of 'dithering' over huge driving test waiting times
Some 258 locations in Britain had the maximum possible waiting time of 24 weeks for a test as of May 5, which is 81% of all sites. That is up from 161 at the start of the year.
Driving tests are a reserved matter under the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA).
AA Driving School, which obtained the figures from the DVSA, warned the situation 'cannot get much worse'.
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The average waiting time across all test centres has reached 22 weeks, up from 14 weeks in February 2024.
The SNP have now accused Labour of leaving Scottish learner drivers "in limbo".
MSP George Adam said: "Learner drivers across Scotland are being left in limbo, unable to access work, education or essential travel, all because Labour at Westminster has failed to get a grip on this spiralling backlog.
"Labour promised action, but what we've seen is delay, dithering, and excuses. Their new target is not only too late, it's an admission that they've already broken their promise to learners.
'While officials scramble to fix Labour's mess, Scottish young people and families are paying the price. This is yet another clear example of how Westminster control is failing Scotland."
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander (below) said in April the Labour Government 'inherited an enormous backlog' but was 'acting fast'.
(Image: Jonathan Brady) She told the Commons [[Transport]] Select Committee her department aimed to reduce the average waiting time to seven weeks by summer 2026.
A Government consultation on amending the test booking system closed last week.
This featured a plan aimed at stopping bots mass-booking new slots so they can be resold on the black market for inflated prices.
The Department for Transport also instructed the DVSA to offer additional overtime payments to incentivise instructors to conduct more tests.
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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.
Emma Bush, managing director of AA Driving School, said: 'With the vast majority of driving test centres now showing waits at the maximum the system will allow, the situation cannot get much worse.
'New measures designed to start bringing down waiting times were implemented at the start of April by the DVSA.
'There are signs of recovery though, putting both the industry and learners on tenterhooks for more signs of improvement in the coming months.
'While we would expect these changes to take a few months to show a positive impact, it is still disappointing to see that learners are continuing to face an uphill battle when it comes to booking their driving test.'
DVSA chief executive Loveday Ryder said: 'DVSA's goal is to make booking a driving test easier and fairer for learner drivers.
'We are making progress on our plans.
'We're really grateful to everyone who has responded to our recent consultation, including learners, parents and driving instructors.
'We're now analysing the survey responses.
'Using your feedback, we'll be able to plan our next steps on improving car test booking rules.'
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