Driving: Learners travelling 400 miles to take test

A driving instructor says he's being forced to take pupils on a 400-mile round trip to take their driving test.

Graham Beisly has been taking his learners from Reading to Cardigan on Wales' west coast after some have been unable to even get on the waiting list.

Mr Beisly said the test booking system is "unworkable" and the worst he's seen in almost 40 years as an instructor.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) said it was taking measures to reduce driving test waiting times.

"I've had a few students who just cannot get a test, they can't even get on the waiting list," said Mr Beisly.

"I've been doing this job for 39 years and it has never, ever been this bad. It's just phenomenal, it's unworkable."

Mr Beisly, 65, said five of his students from Reading have made the journey to Cardigan in Ceredigion - which can take four hours each way - to take their practical test because he can book them in earlier at quieter test centres.

The DVSA has said wait times have increased due to an increase in demand, civil service strikes, and students changing their booking behaviour because of the decrease in availability.

In March, it announced plans in an attempt to tackle the large driving test backlogs.

These measures include increasing the time learners must wait to rebook a test after failing from 10 to 28 days.

The average wait from booking a driving test to sitting one is around 20 weeks across the UK, according to the DVSA.

That compares to just a six week wait before the Covid pandemic.

Mr Beisly said he believes the current system is causing learners to take tests before they are ready due to the thought of a month-long wait if they have to reschedule.

"That's then taken up the space available that should be available to somebody who is of test standards," he said. "It just makes the whole system worse."

He said he believes part of the problem is companies buying test slots in bulk, before selling those slots on for "extortionate profits".

"It used to be that one person buys one test, and that's it, then they've allowed companies to buy them up in bulk," he claimed.

Louise Dale, a driving instructor from Caerphilly, said her students face waiting until the new year before practical test slots become available.

"The waits were about six to eight weeks pre-Covid and then it kind of settled down a little bit," she said.

"Then all of a sudden, probably about six months ago, it's gone mad again."

Ms Dale, who works in Cardiff, said while she understands the issue is widespread, part of the problem in Wales is students coming from outside Wales to sit their test.

"It's making it even more difficult for us locals now to get tests for our people," she said.

Ms Dale said she believes another factor is due to inexperienced drivers taking tests before they are ready.

"You've got drivers who turn up and, yes they can they can operate the vehicle, but they have no idea what the test is about," she said.

"I feel like a lot of tests are being almost wasted due to people not being prepared."

Mr Beisly, who is planning to move to Cardigan, added that he will continue taking students for tests in west Wales until the situation improves.

"You can normally get cancellation within two weeks, maybe one week," he said. "It's completely off the scale compared to Reading.

The DVSA said they are taking "all measures we can to reduce driving test waiting times" which includes recruiting almost 500 new driving examiners.

"DVSA is committed to tackling the reselling of driving tests at profit, and we have zero tolerance for those who exploit learners," said chief executive Loveday Ryder.