The DVSA has launched a brand new public session aimed toward tackling driving take a look at reselling and bettering equity for learner drivers ready to get a take a look at. The session, which opened on 28 Might 2024 and runs till 9 July, invitations suggestions from ADIs, PDIs, learners, and the broader driver coaching neighborhood.
Excessive demand for automotive driving checks has created alternatives for third-party operators to take advantage of learners through the use of bots to safe take a look at slots after which reselling them at inflated costs. In response to DVSA’s current name for proof, practically a 3rd of learners and oldsters admitted to utilizing unofficial providers, paying a median of £122 for earlier take a look at dates.
The brand new session explores proposals to:
- Outline who’s allowed to guide and handle checks
- Restrict or take away the flexibility to swap take a look at appointments or change places
- Restructure reserving permissions to cease bots and unauthorised resales
Relatively than pushing for a authorized ban, DVSA believes that altering the system’s design to make reselling virtually unimaginable is a sooner and simpler resolution. These adjustments are a part of DVSA’s broader plan to scale back take a look at ready instances and enhance entry to the net reserving service.
DVSA Chief Government Loveday Ryder mentioned: “DVSA’s objective is to make reserving a driving take a look at simpler and fairer for everybody whereas stopping extreme expenses for learner drivers.”
The session follows the Transport Secretary’s announcement on the Transport Choose Committee on 23 April 2025, which included measures to scale back ready instances. These embrace encouraging certified DVSA workers to return to testing, doubling the variety of everlasting trainers, and reinstating extra time pay for examiners. The federal government hopes to deliver common take a look at ready instances right down to 7 weeks by summer season 2025.
Lilian Greenwood, Minister for the Way forward for Roads, added: “This session is a crucial transfer in the direction of giving learners extra say over how and the place they will guide, alongside setting out choices to raised allow DVSA to dam bots from stealing slots.”
The Nationwide Associations Strategic Partnership (NASP) has endorsed the session, stating: “The Driver Coaching trade welcomes this session as a key step in bettering accessibility and usefulness of the take a look at reserving system for reliable customers, however equally, as an vital step in the direction of stopping entry by these searching for to take advantage of learners by way of the illegitimate sale of take a look at slots at extortionate costs.
“We urge pupils, mother and father and trainers to reply to the session and guarantee they’re a part of enabling higher, extra environment friendly and fairer options for reserving driving checks sooner or later.”
The session applies solely to automotive driving checks. No adjustments are proposed for reserving motorbike, vocational, teacher or idea checks.
To participate within the session, please go to: https://www.gov.uk/authorities/consultations/improving-car-driving-test-booking-rules/improving-car-driving-test-booking-rules
