The Transport Minister has pledged to reduce the number of learning drivers in England and wait for more than five months to conduct actual testing.
Heidi Alexander said the government’s goal is to clear the backlog next summer and provide at least 10,000 additional driving tests per month to help solve the problem.
She told the parliamentary transport committee on Wednesday that the current waiting time for driving tests was “completely unacceptable”.
According to the AA, driving tests are booked in several areas of the UK for at least six months.
Alexander also revealed plans to double the training capability so that there will be more driving inspectors, and said she is asking other drivers and people in vehicle standards agency (DVSA) roles who are eligible to check for temporary “return to the front line.”
This will also reintroduce overtime rewards for everyone who performs driving tests, she said.
