The Government has dropped the deadline for reducing car driving test waiting times to seven weeks or fewer, as the Driving Instructors Association (DIA) challenges Ministers over the continued lack of progress in tackling the backlog.
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) no longer has a fixed date by which it must bring waiting times down from their current average of almost six months.
While the seven-week target itself has not been abandoned, DVSA’s latest annual accounts state that there is now “no date set” for achieving the goal of a national car practical driving test waiting time of seven weeks or fewer.
The change raises further questions over how DVSA’s performance will be measured and what accountability remains when targets are repeatedly missed or pushed back.
Carly Brookfield, Chief Executive of the DIA, said:
“The sad fact is DVSA can’t seem to meet the targets it sets itself, and removing the deadline does nothing to solve the problem. It simply removes another measure against which the agency can be held accountable.”
Driving test waiting times have remained a significant issue since the disruption caused by the pandemic, with the backlog never fully cleared despite repeated Government and DVSA initiatives aimed at increasing test capacity.
DIA has consistently raised concerns over test availability, examiner deployment, changes to the booking system and the impact these issues are having on learners and the driver training profession.
The association is now challenging Ministers over what comes next and is calling for greater scrutiny of progress under DVSA Chief Executive Beverly Warmington, particularly around engagement with those working directly within the industry.
Brookfield added:
“We need to see much stronger engagement with the profession and a clear plan for how DVSA is actually going to make progress. Removing dates and deadlines cannot become a substitute for delivering results.”
DIA says it will continue to hold DVSA and wider Government to account both through industry collaboration and independently where it believes a more direct or timely response is needed.
Although Brookfield currently serves as Chair of the National Associations Strategic Partnership (NASP), DIA remains an independent professional membership body and says it will continue to speak out directly on issues affecting its members.
“Our members expect us to represent them and challenge the organisations making decisions that affect their businesses and pupils. We will continue to do that, independently where necessary.”
2 responses
The DVSA have no regard for the learner drivers or the training industry. They have been found to be wanting at every turn, missing their own targets continually. Ministers do not understand or do not care about the industry allowing these knee jerk reaction changes to decimate yet another part of the industry (intensive courses) as they previously did with the B+E training part of the industry.
ADi’s are leaving the industry in droves as they have had enough of how the testing system in particular is administered, which inevitably kicks down to the ADi’s in the form of pupils cancelling training to only then appear months later and 2 weeks before a test they have booked, having had no tuition. This then means ADi’s have to rearrange their whole diary or run the risk of being bad mouthed on social media.
I have reports showing that legitimate intensive driving course schools (not ones who just sell on pupils to anyone) are down on booking by as much as 80% meaning that ADi’s in the short term will not have as much work as they need.
All of the above has a direct correlation to the changes made by the DVSA and Ministers.
Thank you to Carly Brookfield who is one of the only people who actually tried to rectify the problems and shame on the other so called Associations for not properly voicing the opinions of the ADi’s you are supposed to represent.
The DVSA have no regard for anyone. Instructors, clients, parents, and the wider public.
Since the DVSA stopped the reselling of tests, the level of alternative fraud in driver training has increased. I am tired of reading about an innocent person falling victim to fake lessons, from a cake instructor. Because no lesson takes place the DVSA wash their hands. Report to action fraud and your card provider/bank.
I also fairly certain there has been an increase in illegal instruction. The DVSA say they’re active in this area, yet see no evidence of this. I tried to report an individual who I strongly suspect is teaching illegally and the DVSA said they would pass my details onto the individual concerned. The Police are told to leave into the DVSA.
Now they are dropping the dead line of 7 weeks by ‘x’ date, where’s their incentive to get a crack on with it?
The DVSA are doing sweet f.a. across the board. No accountability, No care, No hope.