Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to help reduce waiting times for practical driving tests in (a) Greater London and (b) Essex.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s (DVSA) main priority is upholding road safety standards while it works hard to reduce car practical driving test waiting times.

Measures in place to reduce waiting times for customers at all driving test centres, include the recruitment of new driving examiners (DE), conducting tests outside regular hours, including at weekends and on public holidays, and buying back annual leave from DEs.

DVSA also continues to deploy DEs from areas with lower waiting times into those where waiting times are longer.

For recent recruitment campaigns, DVSA has used additional measures when advertising in and around the Greater London area, such as radio advertising, local managers attending and running recruitment events, and improved social media coverage.

From recent recruitment DVSA has had 11 new DEs successful on their training course. This includes 10 for London and one for Essex.

DVSA is planning training courses to the end of the business year and currently has nine individuals, who will serve the London and Essex areas, confirmed on courses to the end of February. Further applicants are in checks awaiting course dates.