Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many additional driving test appointments have been made available through extended testing hours since December 2024.

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.

DVSA is committed to providing its customers with the best service possible and continually reviews its estate to ensure it represents good value for money and is efficient.

DVSA’s booking service is live, and candidates are advised to check for new appointments regularly. Test appointments are released on a rolling 24-week basis, and slots are added as soon as they become available.

On 28 May, the DVSA launched a public consultation on improving the rules for booking car driving tests. The aim of the consultation is to make test booking fairer, stop people charging extra fees to book tests and simplify the system for learners and approved driving instructors (ADI).

From recruitment campaigns, since July 2024, the DVSA has onboarded, and started on a training course, 347 Driving Examiner candidates. Of whom 200 have completed training and have successfully been placed at test centres, 67 candidates are currently in training and 80 candidates failed to complete the training course.

DVSA will continue to assess recruitment needs of all test centres in Great Britain when it launches any future recruitment campaigns.

The table below shows the number of car practical driving tests conducted as a result of overtime, since December 2024.