Frustration for learner drivers having to wait up to four months to take their driving test
Frustration for learner drivers who are having to wait for up to four months before being able to take their driving test – all because of a backlog due to a shortage of examiners.
A recent study has disclosed waiting time numbers across Yorkshire are anywhere between five and eighteen weeks and that over 6,000 driving tests were cancelled over the last year.
Instructors have said that this crazy situation, means they are having to book driving tests for their learner drivers before they even have their first driving lesson with them.
Learner drivers in Yorkshire frustrated test waiting times
According to official figures, how long a learner driver has to wait for a test depends on whereabouts they live in the country. Students in some areas are being made to wait for up to four months or more, to take their test, whereas the waiting list for others may only be five weeks.
In Yorkshire, test centres where students have the longest wait to take their test are: Halifax – 12 weeks, Leeds – 14 weeks, Heckmondwike – 15 weeks and Pontefract – 16 weeks. These are figures from earlier this month, on the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s website.
During the first third of the year, the DVSA cancelled 247 tests at Leeds DTC’s and 280 were cancelled at Horsforth DTC’s.
Mark Lancaster, a driving instructor in Harrogate said: “There’s a shortage of examiners. They are just leaving the industry and it takes time to train new ones up.”
Phil Lloyd, DVSA Head of Operations, confirmed the backlog was due to a shortage of staff.
Mr Lloyd commented on the situation: “We are working to address this as quickly as possible and will continue with further examiner recruitment campaigns throughout 2016.”
193 new examiners have been recruited by the agency during the last year and another 44 have started since April.
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