Asked by: Calum Miller (Liberal Democrat - Bicester and Woodstock)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, which regions have the longest driving test waiting times; and what steps her Department is taking to reduce delays in these regions.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The regions currently experiencing the longest driving test waiting times are London and the South East of England.
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) continues to work to attract and recruit more driving examiners (DE) in the London and South East areas.
For recruitment campaigns, DVSA continues to use additional measures when advertising in these areas, such as local managers attending and running recruitment events, and working in local communities, building and fostering relationships to showcase the DE roles.
DVSA has seen success in its recent campaigns for these regions. From these campaigns, 36 candidates have completed DE training successfully and have been placed to their test centre, and a further 19 candidates are currently undertaking training.
From the most recent campaigns, DVSA has a further 26 potential candidates booked for upcoming training courses, with a further 48 currently undergoing pre-employment checks.
Asked by: Calum Miller (Liberal Democrat - Bicester and Woodstock)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to clear backlogs for driving licence renewal.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
There are no backlogs in driving licence renewal applications, which are being processed within published turnaround times.
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA)’s online services are the quickest and easiest way to renew a driving licence, with customers receiving their licence within a few days of a successful online application.
Driving licence applications where a medical condition must be investigated before a licence can be issued can take longer depending on the medical condition(s) involved and whether further information is required from third parties, for example doctors, other healthcare professionals or the applicant themselves.