Surely the current situation with regard to driving tests is unsustainable?

[lilacclementine]

I know of seven people trying to book a driving test whose lives are being negatively impacted by the fact that there are no tests available. We live in London and there is NOTHING to book between now and September (last visible date) at any of the sites. Everyone has registered on the booking apps and gets nothing. I was up at 5.50 am this morning before the new slots drop at 6.00 am- nearly managed to book the only slot in London at Mill Hill at the end of August but it vanished before I could complete the booking.

-3 are apprentice plumbers who work for my cousin. He part funds their lessons as being able to drive the van to the suppliers to grab bits they need is a big part of being an apprentice. You can’t be a tradesperson without being able to drive
-1 is my neighbour. Her husband had a small stroke and was suddenly not cleared to drive- they have young children plus sick elderly parents who live a 40 min drive away (2 hours on the bus or train). She’s been desperately having lessons and is ready for her test
-2 are friends of my daughter doing A levels. They are great kids who are funding their lessons and tests themselves via part time work – the inability to book a test means that they need to keep paying for lessons they don’t need to keep themselves test ready
-1 is my daughter who I’m funding and is also ready for her test but I’m having to keep paying for lessons while we find a slot.

How can we be in a situation where no one can book a driving test? This is utterly ridiculous. How are people in rural communities managing? Those who need a car to get employment? My daughter’s instructor says that he has 20 people trying to book slots and no one has managed to book anything in the past 3 weeks. I could live with a long wait (perhaps stagger or reduce lessons etc) but the fact is you can’t even book anything even months in advance. If you get a test and then fail (which lots of people do) then its back to the drawing board for another massive wait. The theory test expires after 2 years- it’s not inconceivable that people will in fact have to pay for and resit their theory test because they’ve not been able to book an actual test.

I am baffled that this appears to be one more shit thing that we’re all just putting up with. There’s a few articles I can find complaining about this and the government are saying it’ll all get better soon- but how can it? There’s a big pandemic backlog plus our driving instructor says that it’s lies that they’ve recruited more instructors- apparently the local test centre used to have 13 testers, they’re now down to 7 and no sign of any more.

If anyone has any suggestions about how to get a test let me know. We’re on a booking app but don’t seem to have any success.

I've had two children try to get driving licences since lockdown stopped lessons and tests. I can only echo the stresses in the thread and I don't understand why it's not making the news.

We live in a small town which has had its bus services slashed and the trains are irregular at best, so our young people's options for employment are limited to anything within cycling distance. I am so angry about the whole situation.

My daughter failed her first test at the end of November next available date was June.

The only people benefiting from this are the ap companies. On three of those and nothing coming through at all.

The fact the government aren’t even acknowledging this is shambolic.

A vicious circle of instructors not having spaces because pupils can’t get tests then their theory expires and it’s back to square one.

Would Slough be close enough? One of ours took theirs there in late 2021, as they were at university and hoping for a holiday slot, I checked the DVLA website a couple of times a day to find better times and slots often came up there.

More recently their sibling had their test a couple of weeks ago. We booked it straight after their theory test (think it was a Tuesday or Thursday evening rather than the usual Monday morning often mentioned) and there was a week showing loads of slots about 10 weeks later. Fine for him as he hadn't yet started lessons at that point so didn't check for other slots, but worth checking the DVLA website regularly and at different times of the day.

@Oblomov23 can I ask to use the app do you need to book a test anywhere and then try and change it on the app? Or can we use the app without a test booked

It's all an utter disgrace! So stuffed up if I book a test in say kings Lynn but want one in Essex. It's not fair on those in kings Lynn?!

Keep checking, 3 or 4 times a day, different times of the day

I got one for ds eventually at 6am one Monday morning. Half a dozen slots appeared for August

I was trying to book my test this time last year. The closest I could get- in terms of both date and distance- was a town 120 miles from me in mid-September. But you can’t get a cancellation slot unless you have a test booked, so I went for that and signed up to one of the apps. I was very lucky and happened to be looking at my phone when the notification popped up for a test in my town (also in September) so I grabbed it - and I really was lucky because in the 6 months between booking it and taking the test that was the only cancellation that came up where I live. Had I not passed (with only one minor smug) I’d probably still be waiting for a second test now.

I had to book my daughter a test in Northampton, we are in north herts. Booked at the end of December for a test in may. We used a cancellation app and have thankfully got her a test at our local centre also for may. I just hope she passes first time......

I put the dvla booking page on my home screen and checked literally every couple of minutes I was awake to get a cancellation.That worked before the cancellation app

The thing is it’s so much pressure on them to pass first time now as well as they know it’s months before they will be able to get another test. It’s just not right taking a test is hard enough.

DrIving test genie is a good app.

I have wondered if the age should be raised to 18 to cut down demand, but I guess all that would do is postpone the demand. Although there might be time to train more instructors and examiners.

It is a bit frustrating to see kids who just time it right coming through and passing their tests before/at the same time as older kids who had their lessons and tests massively disrupted by all the lockdowns/covid cancellations.

But I guess it is just the luck of the draw.

I do think it's completely wrong that people are booking tests and not turning up. I suppose they lose their money, but the bigger issue is that the slot could have gone to someone else.

It must be these apps which are causing so many issues - the whole thing needs a huge reset somehow.

dd is just 18. She passed her test in November.
When she tried to book she could only get 8 months in advance. She booked it and then paid for one of the cancellation apps and within 6 weeks had one within 3 months. Passed first time.

I think you have to play the game. We were willing for her to have a test in anywhere within about 50 miles, she was lucky to get one in our home town.

It's awful. DD had two tests cancelled for Covid reasons. We managed to get her a test just before she went to university, which she failed. Then her instructor gave up the job, and nobody else would take her on as a vacation prospect. Local instructors have waiting lists now. We can't afford to pay for termtime lessons as well as support her at university, unfortunately, even if she could find someone willing to take on a non-local pupil, so it's all a bit of a shitshow really. And of course her theory pass has now expired.

I’ve had 2 DC going through the test system in the last year. We’ve used Driving test Now app successfully multiple times as DS failed twice before passing recently and DD. is booked for June

what I find works is booking a test anywhere and 6 months in the future. I then set the app to my required test centre and only that centre

The longest I’ve waited for an acceptable test to be secured was a week but most times it starts moving in hours, I just keep restarting it to bring the test date forward to where I want it

I instinctively don't like the use of these apps and people taking places away from local people by booking miles away with no intention of using them...BUT, what else are people supposed to do?! I can't begrudge anyone for playing the game when It's rigged against us all

I don't believe the apps are the problem at all. Your anger is misdirected.

@bestbefore
Yes you need a test booked. So book any you can. Lands end or John o'groats for next December! Then sign into app. Loads of apps are good. We used: Driving test cancellations and nominated 2 local test centres. Got a test within a few days, for 3 months ahead.

@Oblomov23 It's possible to be annoyed at the whole thing at once. The system is the problem but the apps are part of the problem. How could they not be when they're designed to game a deeply flawed system for profit? I don't begrudge anyone using them. Just own it, that's all.

A friend of mine has just passed her theory and booked her test of July. We are also in the Midlands. She's signed up to one of the apps to try and get an earlier test if possible, which is quite likely according to her instructor.

We have had no luck with three different apps at all. Guess it’s down to the area again. But it’s wrong they are benefiting from this situation.

Yep. Even if we had enough driving instructors, which we don't, this is just one of the consequences of suspending tests for so long. There's a backlog.

I'm dreading having to go through this soon with dc2. They say the backlog won't be dealt with until Jan 2024.

They were discussing the issue on the radio the other day.

It's not being dealt with or raised in the news typically because it mostly effects young people and this government have done nothing for young people except pile on more stress.

Of course the government could do more to deal with this if they wanted to. Driving examiners aren't paid much per hour compared to how much driving instructors now charge. The government could put money in to it. They could pay examiner's more and incentivise more to come back to it, they could make the booking system fairer, they could even change the rules around driving, eg, raise the minimum age or set a minimum amount of time you need to drive before you can take a first test, like on other countries and what road safety campaigners call for.

At the moment my DC is struggling to pass the theory test despite masses of practice. The cynic in me wonders if they've tweaked the test so more of the obscure, hard questions come up and the failure rate is higher 😬, but probably they're just not good at passing tests. If anyone has any tips, please share

You don't have to get an instructor. If she was test ready then either take her out in your car or buy a cheap car for her to practice in. Keep those skills up. She can then sit the test in the car.

Dd should have done her test the first week of lockdown. Was so ready for it. Obviously cancelled. Then went away to university and had to join a waiting list for a new instructor in her new town- that took almost a year. No tests available for months. First one she booked was cancelled as instructor got covid. Then about her several month wait and an instructor who took our money and disappeared - had to then do a test elsewhere again in an unfamiliar car and she failed due to nerves, likely caused by the constant changing and new route/car issue. Several months wait again
Have since given up waiting for an instructor and switched her to automatic as we only own electric cars and no access to manual. Had to do her theory test again as the other one ran out due to the covid delays. She's had to learn how to drive auto electric in her time visiting home in holidays and we've managed, after several months to rebook a new auto test. It's been three years, and the waits are getting worse and worse.

I think it needs a complete overhaul.
I'd change it to a continuous assessment system. Competencies ticked off x number of ti Ed and number of hours with a qualified instructor, with being able to drive elsewhere with parents, etc as practise. Use examiners to do regular monitoring checks with instructors, to ensure consistency and capability. Or similar.

Current system doesn't work without months of delays and/or paying extra for websites and apps to play the system for you. Something needs to change.