To want to know why the government hasn’t sorted out the driving test booking mess yet

[Iwantatest]

You literally can’t book a test thanks to bots and block booking. Go it on at 6 and just put in a 20 000 queue going down very slowly.Even if I was to get on it would be 6 months.

They know bots and block booking are a problem so why aren’t they sorting it?

They're really letting young people down.

It strikes me as so easy to sort.
Tests should be non transferable and non cancelable

Then people will only book a test for themselves, once they are ready.

But people will know when they are ready and know they can book a test then. Rather than that current bonkers system where people book months ahead without any idea whether they will be ready then or not

It is a disgrace. This government cares nothing though, I expect it helps their net zero project they've dumped on tax payers.

Don’t they want young people to get jobs- bit hard with no transport!! I’m struggling to get my daughter to college as it is. We work full time and transport links are dire.

It's a joke - all this talk about education and apprenticeships for school leavers and then they limit their chances by making it impossible to get a driving test for them to actually get anywhere.

That only works when they aren’t worried about not getting a test. As someone said up thread, they are booking before they start lessons because the next test date is six months ahead. Get rid of that problem and there’s no need for draconian measures that only make the problem worse. We really need to get away from this idea of beating people with metaphorical sticks in the form of fines for doing lawful things like booking a driving test. If we returned to local booking systems and made it easier for new test centres to open to meet demand then there wouldn’t be an issue.

I know- if you didn’t want to cry and gnash your teeth in frustration you’d laugh it’s so stupid.

But surely this could be a relatively easy win for the government (compared to a lot of things that are much harder to fix) and impacts a lot of young people who will be voting for many years to come.

Ive had to stop pursuing learning to drive. I just can't afford to keep doing ticking over lessons and re doing my theory test when it expires because the whole system isn't working. I have spent thousands trying.

I've got three children one with additional needs so far less time to dedicate to learning and booking tests. But a whole lot more pressure if I was to get a test feeling it might be my one shot for months or even that year. I'm likely autistic so the whole sitting in a car with a stranger is hard for me anyway. The whole system just does not work at all. It's such a barrier to me getting on with my life but no matter what I do I can't get around it. It's so frustrating. Meanwhile life is getting more and more expensive.

Another example of how young people are failed, during Covid the needs of young people ignored. Due to covid regs record number of young people delayed learning. The reality is in order to improve job prospects they need to drive.

The thing is my daughter struggles with public transport due to her autism. She really needs to drive to work and be independent.

All the money on lessons she needs to keep ticking over is taking money away from buying a car when she does pass.

Was also trying to book at 5.30 am this morning.

With ticket touts - they refused entry to those with touted tickets. That could be a solution.

There are two problems. The booking system, and the lack of test examiners in the first place. The former would be easier to sort out than the latter. People don't want to do it because it pays so badly.

It really needs sorting out. My DS has a test booked for Feb but not at his local centre. We try every day to change it on the Testi app but nothing comes up. I said on another thread the other day, I really hope they scrap the rule about having to retake the theory test within two years. It's so unfair.

my kids did their theory their birthday, went online the following Monday at 5.30 am, booked test 6 months ahead then got cancellation bringing it forward so they took 5 months from turning 17

but I agree the current system and wait times are appalling. You want to be able to learn then when ready book a test a couple of weeks away

It doesn't affect them directly so they can't be bothered. A system where only accredited instructors could book would make more sense.

This all seems so easy to fix just by only allowing people to book one test at a time, and making them non-transferable. It would be dead easy to do - just link each test to a provisional license. It used to be that you booked when you were ready and had a test in a few weeks time.

I was talking to an instructor about the examiner issue.

They need to raise the price of the test, which will enable them to obtain more examiners, which will help.

It's been £62 for a very long time - and given the cost of lessons and other costs of driving it's the smallest cost - it could go to £100 and the difference would be saved in 1 single driving lesson.

This is the same issue as with tickets for concerts but obviously more essential.
Bots are an enormous problem with spreading misinformation too.
The whole internet needs more regulation.

My daughter is ready to take hers, earliest available was March so she is having lessons every other week until then, it means she struggles getting to Uni placements.

They’ve recently employed a large number of new examiners but it’s too overwhelmed.

My daughters original issues was her she couldn’t get lessons when she turned 17 due to Covid, the backlog for lessons was a year. Then she went to Uni so had to wait for to come home. So everything has been delayed, her next two years at Uni are at home, we live in the middle of nowhere. It’s very frustrating.

It’s utterly exhausting and the expense is a real burden. I can’t see why it’s an issue at all. Children in America seem to be able to learn without issue.

Not everyone uses their instructors car - my son used our own car, obviously appropriately taxed, mot'd and insured - on the day he wasn't the only one in a non-instructor car either.

Yes, I read that the incentive to become a driving test examiner is very poor so they cannot recruit. They need to make the role more appealing financially.

Why are they booking tests if they’re not ready to pass?

Clearly the problem of some reselling for profit is a bigger issue.

Yes but the level required to pass the test in America is very very basic plus everyone drives automatic. Ask any American who has had to take the British test.