Andy Burnham has been told to make two crucial DVSA rule updates which could impact certain road users in the UK. Labour has undertaken a massive overhaul of driving tests this summer, with changes made to how learners book assessments and make amendments.
The updates came into effect to crackdown on resellers and bots, ensuring that leaner drivers can book assessment and bring down the waiting list.
However, Tom Jervis, consumer writer at Auto Express, has explained that Mr Burnham should not stop there, with more work needed to truly change the system. In particular, the expert wants to see two immediate changes, with calls to increase the testing capacity on the road and secure more test examiners.
Speaking exclusively to Express.co.uk, Tom said: “Driving should be an option for everyone. but many younger people are being denied the freedom and opportunity afforded by a full licence because of the huge test backlog that the UK is experiencing.
“Giving learners more control over bookings and cracking down on reselling – is, in principle, a sensible step towards making the system fairer, but reducing waiting times will still depend on increasing testing capacity and keeping more examiners in the system, because rule changes alone won’t solve the backlog if demand continues to outstrip supply.”
The UK’s National Audit Office has previously estimated that the driving test backlog won’t be cleared until November 2027. Data from the DVSA found that motorists are waiting more than 10 weeks for checks across large swathes of the country.
The average media waiting time stood at 13.6 weeks in Scotland, 11.7 weeks in London and 10.3 weeks in the East Midlands. Drivers in the North East and North West were waiting around 10 weeks for an assessment, with 9.4 weeks in the East of England.
Earlier this summer, the DVSA stressed that they were determined to reduce waiting times further. Officials stressed that they carried out more than 184,000 additional tests between June 2025 and March 2026.
The DVSA previously said: “We’ve changed the booking rules to protect your pupils from exploitation by unofficial services and resellers. We’ve stopped it being possible to hoard tests at a test centre with no intention of taking tests there, only to move them elsewhere in the country.
“We recognise that many learners are still experiencing extended waits, and we’re not complacent about that.”