Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to reduce the wait time for Category C + E driving tests.
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) is supporting the Government’s wider plans to address the shortage of heavy goods vehicle (HGV) drivers and conduct more HGV driving tests.
Since vocational testing restarted, following the easing of restrictions, the DVSA has been making available an average of 3,000 practical vocational test slots each week; this compares to 2,000 tests pre-pandemic.
The DVSA is asking all those qualified to conduct vocational tests, but who do not do so as part of their current day job, to return to conducting tests, offering a national recovery allowance and annual leave buy back to examiners, and conducting out of hours testing (such as on public holidays and weekends).
Following a public consultation, the Government is implementing a number of measures to significantly boost HGV driving test availability by: