Military driving examiners deployed to public test centres to cut backlog

Military driving examiners are to be mobilised to cut the test backlog for civilians, the Government has announced.

Up to 6,500 more tests will be made available over the next year at locations with the highest demand, the Department for Transport (DfT) said.

Thirty-six defence driving examiners (DDEs) will conduct public tests one day a week for 12 months.

DDEs are civil servants at the Ministry of Defence (MoD) who usually test service personnel.

The DfT said deploying them to public test centres will “benefit both parties” as it will keep their “skills sharp” while also tackling the backlog.

They will be focused primarily on car driving tests but can carry out tests for bus and lorry drivers if needed.

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander told the Commons’ Transport Select Committee that the DfT’s target of reducing the average waiting time for booking a test to seven weeks by summer 2026 will not be met.

The figure was 21.8 weeks at the end of June.

Ms Alexander had initially set a target of clearing the backlog by the end of this year.

Alongside military support, the Government also announced it is introducing new rules to tackle unfair booking practices that allow people to resell tests for profit.

Learners will only be able to make up to two changes to the driving test in total before it must be cancelled and rebooked.

They will also only be able to move the location of the test to a centre near the original booking.

Another change will see instructors no longer able to book tests on behalf of learners.

Ms Alexander said: “We inherited an enormous backlog of learners ready to ditch their L plates, who have been sadly forced to endure record waiting times for their tests.

“Every learner should have an equal and fair opportunity to take a test.

“We’re taking decisive action and these new measures will deliver thousands of extra tests over the next year, helping learners get on the road sooner.”

The MoD will charge the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) £100,000 for using the DDEs.

Tests can be booked up to 24 weeks in advance, with new slots released on a rolling basis.

DVSA figures show the number of learner drivers in Britain with a future test booking as of the end of October was 642,000.

The total is an indication of the backlog of driving tests, which the DVSA has attributed to an increase in demand and some people booking tests much earlier than before.

Some 182,000 tests were conducted last month, an increase of 9% from 168,000 in October 2024.

The Government said it has nearly doubled the number of DVSA staff members available to train new examiners.

The DVSA announced on Tuesday that its chief executive Loveday Ryder is stepping down.

Armed Forces minister Al Carns said: “The Armed Forces and civilians working within the Ministry of Defence have always been ready to step up when the country needs them – and this is another example of that commitment in action.

“Our military driving examiners bring skill and professionalism from testing service personnel to prepare them for some of the toughest conditions imaginable.

“By supporting civilian testing, they’re helping to get more learners on the road, keep Britain moving and deliver for the public.”

Steve Gooding, director of motoring research charity the RAC Foundation, said: “It is good to see steps being put in place to put a stop to those touting tests to frustrated learners.

“Candidates stuck in the queue should at least be reassured that they aren’t being elbowed aside by those simply seeking to make a quick buck.

“What will really deter the touts and tackle the queues would be a return to the more reasonable pre-Covid waiting time for tests which we hope the arrival of a platoon of military examiners alongside the new DVSA recruits will help deliver.”