The Liberal Democrats have called for an urgent government investigation into allegations that touts are paying driving instructors for access to the official test-booking system, a practice said to be fuelling the massive driving test backlog.
BBC Investigation Uncovers £250 Monthly Payments
According to a BBC investigation, some driving instructors have been offered around £250 a month for their login details to the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) system. Touts allegedly use these credentials to block-book multiple driving test slots, which they then sell on to desperate learner drivers at a significant mark-up.
The standard fee for a driving test is £75, but learners facing long waits are reportedly being forced to pay hundreds of pounds to secure a slot through these third-party resellers. This block-booking activity is identified as a key contributor to the extensive backlog, forcing some to book tests hundreds of miles from home.
Government Measures and Mounting Pressure
The government recently announced steps to tackle the problem, including a ban on instructors booking tests for others. However, critics argue this does not go far enough.
Liberal Democrat transport spokesman Olly Glover described the BBC's findings as “appalling, but unfortunately not surprising.” He revealed constituents in Oxfordshire had been severely impacted, stating: “I have been contacted by some Oxfordshire constituents who have had to book tests hundreds of miles away as the only way to beat this failing system.”
He urged ministers to “get a grip” and launch a full investigation to establish the scale of the issue and hold those responsible to account.
DVSA Leadership Change Amid Backlog Crisis
The call for action comes during a period of transition at the DVSA. The agency's chief executive, Loveday Ryder, stepped down last month after nearly five years in charge, amid ongoing concerns about the test waiting times.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander told the Commons Transport Committee that tackling driving test wait times would be a “top priority” for the DVSA's new leadership. She is understood to have made cutting the backlog a major priority for her department.
Recent DVSA statistics highlight the severity of the crisis. The number of learner drivers in Britain with a future test booking reached 642,000 at the end of October 2025. This represents an increase of roughly 70,000 from October 2024 and is far above the pre-pandemic figure of 220,000 recorded in early 2020.
In response, Ms Alexander has announced that military driving instructors will be brought in to provide an extra 6,500 tests over the next year. The government also plans to change booking rules to require learners to book their own tests, limit rearrangements, and prevent tests from being moved to different parts of the country.
