Transport Committee Chair MP has written a letter to the
Government seeking further information on its plans to bring
down waiting times for driving test slots.
The letter follows an evidence session on 4 December 2024 with the
DVSA's Chief Executive Loveday Ryder, and Roads Minister MP. The letter also
responds to correspondence the Committee received from the
Minister on 18 December and 23 January.
The Department for Transport announced in December 2024 a list of
steps to be taken by DVSA to address the situation. Among the 11
questions put to the Minister in the letter are:
· Whether a commitment to
recruiting 450 driving examiners in the announcement was a
restatement of an existing commitment.
· Whether the Department for
Transport and DVSA can find ways to make the job of a driving
examiner more attractive in order to hit recruitment targets. The
Committee was previously told during the 4 December evidence
session that it is “not possible” to increase examiners' pay
without also increasing the pay of all other DfT staff on the
same pay grade.
· What further measures,
including through legislation, the Government may take to prevent
the “unscrupulous” reselling of driving test slots.
· For DfT to explain why,
according to media reports
based on Freedom of Information request responses, pass rates
vary dramatically between driving test centres across the
country.
· The timescale for
completing an overdue IT upgrade that would help protect the
driving test booking system from bots that are used to book up
mass test slots.
Transport Committee Chair said:
“MPs from across the country and across the House of Commons
know from listening to their constituents that getting a grip of
the DVSA must be a priority for the Government. People's lives
can't be kept on hold while waiting absurd amounts of time to
take a driving test they've paid through the nose for. This
Committee will push for regular updates and detailed plans from
DfT until this saga is resolved.”
