MPs will question DVSA Chief Executive Loveday Ryder and Roads
Minister Lilian Greenwood on cutting
waiting times for driving tests and clamping down on re-sale
touts.
The DVSA (Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency) continues to
battle through a backlog of driving tests that peaked at 500,000
due to the pandemic and a period of industrial action.
Driving test wait times have increased through 2024. The AA reported that in
February the average wait time was 14.8 weeks. By September it
had increased to 19 weeks, according to the Department for Transport.
The AA's figures also showed that 51% of test centres had seen
average waiting times increase this year with only 20% making an
improvement.
Among the Agency's other responsibilities are carrying out theory
tests for drivers of private and commercial vehicles, approving
driving instructors and MOT testers, and carrying out MOT checks
of lorries and buses.
The cross-party Committee will quiz Ryder and Greenwood on ways
to solve the ongoing problems that are causing delays and
exacerbating the tests backlog, such as the persistent problem of
touts using bots to buy up test slots and re-sell them at a
profit.
Before them, MPs will also question representatives of the AA,
Driving Instructors Association and Public and Commercial
Services (PCS) trade union, on issues such as the retention and
recruitment of driving test examiners.
There may also be questions around the possible knock-on effects
of these delays, such as more tests resulting in failure and an
increased demand for driving lessons while people wait for their
tests.
Witnesses from 09:15
· Camilla Benitz, Driving
School Managing Director, The AA
· Carly Brookfield, Chief
Executive, Driving Instructors Association
· Lyndsey Marchant-Davies,
DfT Group Secretary, PCS
· Sally Gilson, Policy Lead,
Road Haulage Association
From 11.45
· Loveday Ryder, Chief
Executive, DVSA
· Lilian Greenwood MP,
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for
Transport
· Emma Ward, Director General
for Roads, Places and Environment, Department for Transport
