Touts exploit determined learner drivers attempting to e-book a take a look at | Politics | News | EUROtoday
TOUTS are shopping for up scarce driving take a look at slots and promote them on to determined learner drivers at inflated costs.
The newest figures present a rise of almost 1,200 per cent within the variety of driving exams booked after which swapped from one licence to a different since earlier than the pandemic.
In January 2019, 5,162 slots had been swapped. Last month the determine was 66,448.
This month it was revealed that individuals at the moment are ready not less than 4 months on common for a take a look at. In the Midlands, the South West and the South East, the typical wait is 5 months.
Would-be drivers have been urged to solely e-book exams by the Government’s official on-line portal and warned that they may fall sufferer to scams in the event that they go elsewhere.
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency has deployed Artificial Intelligence to establish “bots” – pc applications used to snap up take a look at slots once they turn into obtainable – and block them from the official web site.
But these on the frontline of testing disaster say that wider motion is required to sort out the testing backlog.
Camilla Benitz of the AA Driving School mentioned extra examiners should be employed to finish the lengthy waits.
Warning that with the ability to drive is an “absolute necessity” for many individuals to get to work, schooling and employment, she mentioned: “Efforts to tackle the backlog to date have not produced any long-term improvement. We need to see additional driving test slots made available, but also a focus on recruiting and retaining more examiners.”
Carly Brookfield, chief government of the Driving Instructors Association, mentioned that the scarcity of exams has led to folks “panic buying slots” earlier than they’re prepared. She instructed that the issue might be tackled by solely permitting accredited driving instructors to e-book exams.
A spokeswoman for the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency mentioned: “Tackling the re-selling of driving tests is a key priority, which is why we’ve deployed measures to protect learner drivers and removed nearly 5,000 accounts not linked to approved driving instructors.”
She burdened that the “gov.uk” web site is “the only official way to book your practical driving test” and urged folks to “report any social media channels or posts offering unofficial test slots or bookings to the social media network”.
“To ensure a level playing field for all customers, we limit the number of times a driving licence number can be used to swap a practical car test online,” she mentioned.
https://www.express.co.uk/news/politics/1967645/touts-exploit-desperate-learner-drivers