Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment her Department has made of trends in the length of driving test waiting times in (a) Surrey and the (b) South-east.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) is seeing some of the highest demand for driving tests it has ever seen. Demand remains high, owing in part to a major shift in customer booking behaviour.

DVSA’s main priority is upholding road safety standards while it works hard to reduce car practical driving test waiting times at all test centres, including in Surrey and the South-east.

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

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.

On 28 May, the DVSA launched a public consultation on improving the rules for booking car driving tests. The consultation closes at 11:59pm on 23 July.  In line with the consultation principles, DVSA will aim to publish a summary of responses, including the next steps, within 3 months of the consultation closing.