The petition of residents of the constituency of St Ives,
Declares that the Penzance DVSA Test Centre should be reinstated to full-time operation in order to provide a service which meets the driving test demand in West Cornwall; further declares that the reduction in availability has caused significant inconvenience and delays for learners and instructors in the area, with waiting times now exceeding national averages; further declares that the closure or part-time operation of the centre forces residents to travel long distances to alternative test centres, increasing costs and carbon emissions, and disproportionately affecting rural communities and those without access to private transport; and further declares that local driving instructors report a severe backlog, which is impacting on employment opportunities and road safety for new drivers.
The petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urges the Government to ensure that the Penzance DVSA Test Centre is reinstated to full-time operation.
And the petitioners remain, etc.—[Presented by Andrew George, Official Report, 27 April 2026; Vol. 784, c. 710 .]
[P003194]
Observations from the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport (Simon Lightwood): The Government recognise the importance of timely access to practical driving tests for learner drivers, and the role this plays in supporting employment, education and mobility, particularly in rural and coastal communities. I acknowledge the frustration that many learners and instructors are experiencing because of current waiting times, and I have asked the DVSA to deliver on our plan to bring waiting times down and improve the customer experience, including by increasing the number of tests delivered, and by recruiting and training additional driving examiners.
The DVSA regularly reviews demand, capacity and the utilisation of test centres, and I have asked it to ensure that its services are provided in a way that best meets customer needs.
The DVSA continues to strengthen its action against bots and appointment swapping so that genuine learners can access local tests more fairly. Alongside the significant anti-abuse measures already in place—including advanced bot protection technology, tighter terms and conditions for business bookings, warnings for and suspensions of offending accounts, and restrictions on excessive slot swapping—the DVSA has introduced, from 31 March 2026, a limit on learners changing their test booking to a maximum of twice, reduced from six times previously. This limits the ability of third parties to hold and repeatedly move test slots, helping to free them up for genuine learners who intend to take their test where they have booked it, which I expect will improve access for those living locally. Further changes have come into effect on 12 May 2026. These go further by requiring in law that only learner drivers can book and manage their own tests.
I understand the unique challenges faced by residents in west Cornwall. Unlike other parts of the country, travel options are limited by the peninsula’s geography, and seasonal traffic can significantly increase journey times and costs. In allocating examiner resource, the DVSA is guided by booking data that shows the postcode of the learner’s address and the test centre where they have booked their test. The data shows that many learners already travel from Camborne and areas to the east; this evidence helps the DVSA to distribute resources fairly and efficiently. I will continue to keep Penzance’s usage and provision under review as part of wider work to improve driving test availability, and I should like to provide reassurance that both Penzance and Camborne remain compliant within existing service-level agreements.