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Written Question
Driving Licences: Older People
Monday 14th July 2025

Asked by: Kevin Bonavia (Labour - Stevenage)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, for what reason her Department introduced mandatory renewal of driving licenses for drivers over 70 and every subsequent three years.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The requirement for driving entitlement to be renewed at the age of 70 and then at most every three years thereafter has been in place since 1976. Prior to this all drivers had been required to renew their driving entitlement every three years. Renewal at the age of 70 recognises that a person’s health may deteriorate in ways that affect driving. The driving licence renewal process provides a timely reminder to individuals to consider their health in the context of driving.

All drivers, irrespective of their age, must still ensure they are medically fit to drive at all times and are legally required to inform the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency about the onset or worsening of a medical condition that could affect safe driving.

Written Question
Driving Tests: Waiting Lists
Thursday 19th June 2025

Asked by: Kevin Bonavia (Labour - Stevenage)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans she has to reduce the backlog of driving tests.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

On the 23 April, the Secretary of State for Transport appeared before the Transport Select Committee and announced that the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) will take further actions to reduce waiting times for all customers across Great Britain.

Since this announcement DVSA has:

  • Asked volunteers currently working in other roles, but qualified to examine, to carry out practical driving tests.

  • Reintroduced overtime pay incentives for everyone delivering driving tests. The additional testing allowance (ATA) scheme launched 1 June 2025. DVSA believes the introduction of the ATA will encourage both driving examiners (DE) and those in other roles to provide additional tests.

  • Continued to work towards doubling new entrant training capacity. By 31 July 2025, DVSA aims to double its permanent training resource from 13 to 26 trainers. This will ensure newly recruited DEs can qualify as quickly as possible.

  • Launched a public consultation on improving the rules for booking car driving tests, on 28 May. Views are being sought from the driver training industry, learner drivers and other interested parties on changes which aim to prevent learner drivers being exploited by those who resell tests at a higher price. The consultation will close at 11:59pm on 23 July 2025.

Further information on these actions and progress of DVSA’s plan to reduce driving test waiting times, which was announced in December 2024, can be found on GOV.UK.