Asked by: Amanda Hack (Labour - North West Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, What recent steps her Department has taken to ensure consistency in local authorities' taxi license-issuing regimes.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department for Transport issues guidance to licensing authorities in England to help them regulate the sector. One of the aims of the guidance is to improve consistency in the licensing standards required by licensing authorities. Statutory guidance was issued in 2020 on measures that should be taken to protect children and vulnerable adults, and by extension all passengers, when using these services. Last year the Department issued updated best practice guidance which made recommendations to promote regulation that enables the provision of safe, accessible, available, and affordable services that meet the wide range of passenger needs by a thriving sector.
Asked by: Amanda Hack (Labour - North West Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what data her Department holds on the percentage of driving test bookings where the initial driving licence number on the booking form was subsequently changed in each month since January 2019.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
To ensure fairness for everyone wanting to book a practical driving test, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) continues to work hard to combat the unscrupulous practice of reselling tests.
DVSA is experiencing some of the highest demand for driving tests it has ever seen. This, and continued high waiting times for tests, has contributed to a major shift in customer booking behaviour. Many customers now book their car practical test far earlier in their learning journey, sometimes before they have even had a practical driving lesson.
DVSA does not employ, encourage or licence anyone to provide a cancellation service checking for newly open slots. These apps or bots are not approved by the DVSA as they make it harder for candidates to get a test and can result in people paying more for a test than the official test fee of £62. Using such services also means that any changes to the test may not necessarily be relayed to the candidate.
The attached spreadsheet shows the number and percentage of practical driving test bookings where the initial test candidate’s driving licence number was subsequently changed to a different driving test candidate’s licence number in each month since January 2019.
Asked by: Amanda Hack (Labour - North West Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what data her Department holds on the number of driving test bookings where the initial driving licence number on the booking form was subsequently changed in each month since January 2019.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
To ensure fairness for everyone wanting to book a practical driving test, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) continues to work hard to combat the unscrupulous practice of reselling tests.
DVSA is experiencing some of the highest demand for driving tests it has ever seen. This, and continued high waiting times for tests, has contributed to a major shift in customer booking behaviour. Many customers now book their car practical test far earlier in their learning journey, sometimes before they have even had a practical driving lesson.
DVSA does not employ, encourage or licence anyone to provide a cancellation service checking for newly open slots. These apps or bots are not approved by the DVSA as they make it harder for candidates to get a test and can result in people paying more for a test than the official test fee of £62. Using such services also means that any changes to the test may not necessarily be relayed to the candidate.
The attached spreadsheet shows the number and percentage of practical driving test bookings where the initial test candidate’s driving licence number was subsequently changed to a different driving test candidate’s licence number in each month since January 2019.