To think the government need to pull their fingers out of their backsides with regards to driving tests?

[NotTonightDeidre]

DS has a test booked for the end of October. It was the earliest test we could get after he passed his theory.

He's ready to take his practical test now (has been for a few weeks) but I can't get an earlier test for love nor money!

Except that's a lie - if I'm willing to shell out over the odds or pay to sign up to an app, I might get a test sooner! But, I refuse to become part of the problem.

I've seen several slots come up, but, every time I click to book the slot is taken! No doubt by a goddamn sniper app.

Why are the government allowing this BS to continue? They're quick to block my access to the booking site because I manually refreshed the screen a dozen times, but yet the bots can book multiple slots!!

This won't get better until the powers that be put a stop to unscrupulous companies making a fast profit on selling tests at an inflated rate. And stop the apps.

I get there's a backlog. Recruitment & retention issues with driving instructors. However the lack of action against questionable bookings is only compounding the issue.

If only ranting on mumsnet could expedite the process.

My 17-year old is either at school, or working during the holidays in a pub kitchen. I am around at the times when notifications pop up. Plus he is SEVENTEEN which is not an adult. He is a schoolboy still.

I think it’s because you CAN book more than one test so the bots get hold of one set of details and book hundreds of slots under that name/number. Seems to be easily rectified by making it one slot per licence number but what do I know!

Jeremy Vine did an item on it a while back and I’m sure this is what they said was happening.

It's appalling and really limiting kids job opportunities when leaving school if they live anywhere with rubbish public transport.

Try the Testi app if not already mentioned. Sorry not read the full thread OP.

It’s that bad now that I think that experienced driving instructors ought to be able to test each others pupils say if they have had 30 lessons or something. We managed to get round a levels and GCSEs during the pandemic by allowing teachers to make judgements ( yes I’m sure they were inflated, but this is a temporary measure).

The driving instructor that taught me also taught my kids! He must be experienced enough to judge. He’s been doing it for years. Perhaps if he went out several times with a different pupil and then came to a judgement? Maybe even from the next centre / town over or something? They actually practise test routes and all the manoeuvres. It can’t be rocket science.

A few months of this and they could clear the backlog. Or maybe only driving instructors can book a test for their pupils. I’m not sure how these sniping tools manage to pick up all the tests? I think a purely temporary measure like this would help clear the backlog.

I agree it is still impacting young people enormously, especially in rural areas with poor public transport. Also it’s financially crippling to keep having lessons when they don’t need them. I know a young person who couldn’t start their apprenticeship due to not being able to get a test. My DC was lucky to be able to learn on and off during the pandemic as she was working so we could get her to drive to work. She went to uni for a term then managed to get a test at the first Christmas back with only 1 hour practise beforehand! Luckily she managed to pass first time or she would have been looking at March or later for a second test , by which time her theory test would have run out!

It infuriates be about these pointless consultations, it’s obvious what to do to temporarily clear the backlog!

Thank @KassandraOfSparta

That's kind , I hope so 🤞

Testi is shit

It’s a classic example of government overreach. Centralisation doesn’t always help. Test centres should have their own booking systems, whereby you can give them a ring and book on the phone, like we used to. My test was about 2 weeks after I booked before all this nonsense started.

We have also had the problem of not being able to find a driving instructor who teaches using a manual car.

Testi used to be good but not any more. There is another app which is much better but is not unavailable to download. I think we're on a waiting list or something.

Thank you!!

It's team work and my DC help me in return. If I said they didn't help me, some corner of Mumsnet would be up in arms - they literally cannot win.

Plus, it drives me and DD17 crazy that she's not legally an adult until she is 18 (although definitely more mature than some of the adults in our family 😜), but lots of places will charge her the same price as an adult or consider her as one.

Well surely that makes this problem super easy to solve ?

It's another example of failure to respond to known issues..without an inquiry or Committee.

The issues are well known, just no clamp down on illegal activities. Can't actually blame Labour too much because last government had yhe issue for several years BUT if this was private sector we know it would be resolved (not saying it should be privatised as that will make it worse) just no accountability within government departments.

Isn't the lack of driving instructors the underlying problem?
If this is added to the list of jobs that no one is willing to do for the money that's on offer, what then??

Exactly. I don't think this was a thing when I booked my test, although waiting times were still 3-4 months, but it seems so easy to solve. So it must be that there is no appetite from the DVLA/government to solve it.

There’s driving instructors, but not enough examiners. The instructors are spending far longer with each student because the wait for tests is so long.

Quite, if Glastonbury Festival can get rid of touts I don’t understand why the DVLA can’t?

The government needs to pay examiners more. They get under £30k a year. With the same skill set they could be instructors and earn north of £50k a year. But they won't up the salary and therefore no one wants to be an examiner and there are no test slots.

The government needs to pay examiners more. They get under £30k a year. With the same skill set they could be instructors and earn north of £50k a year. But they won't up the salary and therefore no one wants to be an examiner and there are no test slots.

I have seen adverts for driving test examiners and took a quick look through curiosity, as we have a test centre nearby. However, the vacancies are all configured as permanent employed roles following a six-week training period.

If you wanted to clear a backlog, it would make far more sense for people to be able to do it on a sessional basis. Who on earth wants to examine people for 35 solid hours per week?! Especially because the most suitable group of candidates i.e. driving instructors, are not going to give up their flexible self-employed income in order to take on a full-time job. The salaries are really not that great either.

Is there a reason why the theory test has an expiry date? After all millions of drivers are driving around having never even sat one at all and it's not as though once the test is passed people are required to keep taking theory tests to deal with any changes.

An easy solution would be to just charge more for the test and pass on the extra money straight to examiners. As people have voted against paying public sector workers more for the previous 14 years charging more is the fairest way in giving a payrise.

This issue is a feature not a bug. It's all part of the net zero 15 minute city let's slow everyone down project.

They need to be offering better pay for the driving examiners, or they will never be able to recruit enough. The idea of recruiting people to do examining just one day a week is a good one: those people will then be able to advertise that they are an examiner, so they might be willing to do it for not much more than they charge as an instructor.

Yes, paying the examiners more probably means putting up the price of a test, but for most people, the delay in getting a date is probably costing rather more in terms of additional lessons.

It won't get fixed as it's a short term inconvenience for anyone impacted.

You probably didn't care when you weren't trying to book test
I don't care now because my DS is two yrs away from driving.
You won't care in two years because you won't be affected any longer

Unfortunately so many services fall into this cycle that nothing gets done to resolve

Hey everyone, they dont want more instructors or examiners, they want you all to stop driving in the first place.

They dont need to do anything about this issue, they see it as a positive step.