Driving check chaos to proceed for months with learners paying £300 | Politics | News | EUROtoday

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander has vowed to finish a “black market” in driving exams which implies motorists are paying £300 for the prospect to lose their L-plates – however admitted the Government is to overlook its goal by eight months. A scarcity of examiners means motorists have to attend months to e-book a driving check, which normally value £62. But a thriving underground market has developed by which profiteers prepare exams on the official pc system after which promote the appointment at an inflated value.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has a goal of slicing ready instances to seven weeks by the top of this 12 months however Ms Alexander informed MPs she didn’t anticipate this to occur till subsequent summer season. She mentioned: “The waiting times that people are experiencing are totally unacceptable.”

Speaking to the Commons Transport Committee, Ms Alexander mentioned the DVSA has been instructed to make “additional overtime incentive payments to everyone delivering extra driving tests”.

She additionally mentioned the Government will launch a session subsequent month on adjustments to the driving check reserving system, in an try and cease bots mass-booking new slots and reselling them on the black marketplace for inflated costs.

The DVSA has been searching for methods to enhance its web site in order that appointments can’t be snapped up by automated methods or “bots” utilized by folks planning to promote the slot on.

Instructors have additionally warned that the scarcity of exams means learner drivers are taking them earlier than they’re prepared, as a result of as soon as a driver has managed to e-book an appointment they’re unwilling to present it up and danger one other lengthy wait.

Trade physique the Driving Instructors Association has warned that trainee drivers usually tend to “have a go” at a check if they’ve a slot booked, even when they aren’t check prepared, moderately than lose the chance and have to return into the system and wait months for an additional change.

Recent evaluation by the AA Driving School confirmed the typical ready time to e-book a sensible check in Britain was 20 weeks in February, up from 14 weeks a 12 months earlier.

The variety of check centres with a 24-week ready time almost doubled over the interval, from 94 to 183.

Steve Gooding, director of motoring analysis charity the RAC Foundation, mentioned: “The current system is failing learner drivers even before they sit their tests, and today’s news shows there won’t be a quick fix to the frustratingly long waiting times.

“For now, the best way candidates can help themselves is to be as prepared as possible for test day when it does eventually arrive so they have the greatest chance of passing.

“At the moment less than 50% of tests taken are passed.”