Currently, instructors can book tests on behalf of their students, but this will be banned as part of the changes. Limits will also be placed on the number of times a driver can move or swap a test, and the area they can move a test to once they have booked it.
Amelia Lightfoot, a 20-year-old learner driver from Devon, said it took more than a month for her to secure a test, having made daily visits to the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) website to book a slot.
She said when she eventually got a date, it was six months away. But she failed that test and is now struggling to book another.
“Because I live in a rural area with very poor public transport, having a driving licence would significantly improve my quality of life.
“The situation is incredibly frustrating and feels very unfair,” she said.
Additionally, 36 examiners from the Ministry of Defence (MoD) will be brought into the DVSA to try to reduce the backlog.
These examiners are civil servants, not military personnel.
The DVSA has recruited 316 new examiners, but Alexander said that has resulted in a net gain of only 40 as others have left.
Driving examiners will be offered a “retention payment” of £5,000 from next year to try and keep them in the role.
Ruth Cadbury MP, the chair of the Transport Committee, said efforts to replace the current test booking system were moving at a “glacial pace” and it was “a shame” that the summer 2026 target would be missed.
“We will continue to ask the Department for Transport for regular updates on this issue.”
