The UK government is banning bots and third parties from booking driving tests as part of a major shake-up to tackle a backlog of nearly 670,000 learners. Only learner drivers themselves will be able to make bookings, ending the practice of instructors or touts reselling slots at inflated prices.
Under new rules, learners will be limited to a maximum of two changes to a booking—including moves, swaps, and location changes—before it must be cancelled and rebooked. They will also be restricted to test centres close to their original booking.
Steve Gooding, director of the RAC Foundation, welcomed the measures, saying candidates stuck in the queue should be reassured they are not being pushed aside by those seeking a quick buck.
The Department for Transport (DfT) also announced it will call in 36 military driving examiners from the Ministry of Defence to help conduct up to 6,500 additional tests annually. These examiners will be deployed to centres with the highest demand and may also carry out vocational tests for bus and lorry drivers.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander acknowledged the backlog, inherited from the previous government, and said every learner should have a fair opportunity to take a test. The DVSA has recruited 316 new examiners but net gains are only 40 due to departures; a £5,000 retention payment will be offered from next year.
In September, 168,644 tests were carried out, a 14% increase year-on-year, but the pass rate fell to 49.9%, a six-month low. The government aims to reduce average waiting times to seven weeks by summer 2026, though Alexander admitted this target will not be met by next summer.
