AA Driving School is calling for more transparency in the availability of driving tests, after exclusive data reveals learners faced booking delays at 88% of UK test centres.

Across Glasgow’s three test centres, the shortest waiting time was more than four months.

Data from November 2022 revealed learners had to wait 20 weeks for an available test at the Baillieston centre.

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DVSA data accessed by AA Driving School via a Freedom of Information Request shows the test waiting time was more than five months in 66 towns and cities across the UK.

The average waiting time for a test at the end of November 2022 peaked at five-and-a-half months.

Driving tests were suspended during the Covid-19 lockdowns and delays to the return of practical tests resulted in a backlog of learners waiting to book.

Camilla Benitz, AA Driving School Managing Director, said: “Driving test delays continue to have real-life implications for thousands of people who need a driving licence to get to education or work.

“Being able to drive is also incredibly important for maintaining social connections, supporting relatives and gives you more independence in general, especially in rural areas.

“The backlog data we obtained shows learners across the country face months of delays. In some areas, you could have searched on November 1, 2022, and only been offered a test from April 18, 2023, if at all.

“There is no easy way for candidates to check availability at multiple test centres without checking each one manually.

“A better system could save many weeks of waiting as our data showed wait times varied between some local test centres by as much as three months.

“We’d like to see test centre wait time data published regularly by the DVSA to help ensure there is full accountability in getting back to pre-pandemic waiting times.”

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In a parliamentary debate earlier this month, Transport minister Richard Holden MP said waiting lists “are coming down for driving tests and we hope to achieve back to pre-pandemic levels within the next few months”.

Mr Holden told the Commons: “The DVSA is recovering after the pandemic. There are 620,000 practical test appointments in the booking system.”

He later added: “The average waiting time to take a car test is at 15.1 weeks, with over 80,000 slots currently available.”