Military driving examiners are being dispatched to rural areas as part of a new initiative to assist learner drivers in obtaining their licenses. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander has announced comprehensive measures to combat the issue of bots and third parties reserving driving test slots and reselling them at inflated prices.
Acknowledging the challenge of meeting the target of reducing the average waiting time for booking a test to seven weeks by summer 2026, currently standing at 21.8 weeks, the Cabinet minister detailed the new arrangements. Military examiners will extend their services to civilians, generating an additional 6,500 test opportunities in high-demand locations over the next year.
To prevent third-party exploitation, the Department for Transport will implement a policy where only learners themselves can book their tests, eliminating instructors from doing so on their behalf. Learner drivers will be permitted only two changes to their test, preventing arbitrary reselling of test slots at higher costs.
Recent incidents of teenagers falling victim to fraudulent third-party test bookings prompted these reforms. The Department for Transport shared that as of the end of October, 642,000 learner drivers in Britain have forthcoming test bookings.
The collaboration between the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) will involve 36 Defence Driving Examiners (DDEs) conducting driving tests one day per week for a year. These examiners, typically assessing service personnel, will focus primarily on car driving tests while remaining adaptable to conduct vocational tests for bus and lorry drivers if necessary.
Transport Secretary Ms. Alexander emphasized the importance of rectifying the backlog of learners awaiting tests, ensuring fair and equal access to testing opportunities. The MoD will charge DVSA £100,000 for the deployment of DDEs.
In response, Armed Forces minister Al Carns commended the collaboration, highlighting the readiness of military personnel to support civilian needs. The move aims to expedite the process for learners, contribute to the smooth functioning of Britain’s roads, and serve the public effectively.
Emma Bush, managing director of AA Driving School, welcomed the additional support from military examiners, foreseeing a reduction in waiting times and a crackdown on test resellers. Bush stressed the necessity for sustained efforts to restore pre-COVID test availability levels by recruiting and retaining examiners effectively.