Driving test backlog is partly caused by immigration, officials tell minister

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander has been told Britain’s driving test backlog is partly being caused by an increase in immigration.

Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) board meeting minutes show officials said they told her “immigration demand from non-EU countries had increased substantially” during discussions to make her “aware of the scale of the challenge” to reduce driving test waiting times.

The minutes, obtained by the RAC Foundation in response to a request under freedom of information laws, show potential measures to tackle the backlog set to be put to Ms Alexander included “immigration options” and “minimum learning periods”.

Nationals from countries outside the European Economic Area – which consists of the EU plus Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway – with a full driving licence issued by their home country are entitled to drive in Britain for 12 months after entry.

To continue driving after that point, people not from a designated country must obtain a British licence by passing the test.

The board meeting minutes also state an increase in the number of people aged 17 – the minimum age that people can take a test – is also contributing to the backlog.

The amount of future tests booked – a measure of the backlog – was 644,398 at the end of August.

At the end of February 2020 – before the Covid-19 crisis – the total was 219,786.

To tackle the backlog, the Government has consulted on amending the driving test booking system, to stop bots mass-booking new slots and reselling them on the black market for inflated prices.

Other measures include instructing the DVSA to offer additional overtime payments to incentivise instructors to conduct more tests, and doubling the number of permanent trainers for new examiners.

Figures from the Office for National Statistics show estimated net migration to the UK from outside the EU was a record 965,000 in 2022, and 952,000 in 2023.

It then fell sharply to 544,000 last year, but this is still well above pre-pandemic levels, when it never rose above 200,000 a year.

Steve Gooding, director of the RAC Foundation, questioned whether the DVSA could have “improved the forecasting of demand for tests”, and if its attempts to clear the backlog are “actually working”.

He added: “The only silver lining to the current delays in test bookings is that the extra waiting time might mean frustrated learners get more practice in ahead of the big day, and those from overseas have more time to learn the specific rules of our domestic roads, hopefully meaning more candidates passing when their test finally arrives.

“Going forward, a minimum learning period could potentially mean an improvement in the current pass rate of 50%, leading to an overall reduction in the number of candidates adding to the queues by needing second, third or even more attempted tests before passing.”

A Government spokesperson said: “This is incomplete analysis of the many causes of driving test wait times.

“This Government has seen net migration fall by 300,000 since July last year.

“We inherited a broken driving test system where many learners found themselves stuck in a frustrating limbo, but the Government has taken decisive action to address this and the DVSA has carried out over 20,000 more tests between June to August this year, and the pass rate remains the highest it’s been since May 2021.”