Government’s campaign to recruit more driving test examiners branded ‘spectacular failure’ after only only 3 per cent of applicants offered jobs
The government’s campaign to recruit more driving test inspectors to cut waiting times has been labeled a ‘spectacular failure’ after only 3 per cent of applicants were offered jobs.
Figures show that just one in 34 people who applied for a practical driving test inspector position last year got the job; that is, only 327 applications out of a total of 11,132 were successful.
This is despite 19 separate recruitment campaigns by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) since 2021 to reduce waiting times to take a practical driving test, which last year averaged 22 weeks.
The National Audit Office said four months ago that 400 new auditors would need to be added to the existing 1,556 auditors to reduce waiting times to the DVSA’s target of seven weeks by the end of 2027.
But each year 12 per cent of examiners (about 186 people) resign, often on a low salary of as little as £28,000, and due to stress. This means only about 140 extra inspectors have been added, according to the figures; This is one third of the 400 target.
Shadow transport secretary Richard Holden said: ‘Labour’s handling of driving tests is such a spectacular failure that a real effort is needed to achieve it.
‘People desperate to drive are being forced to pay for lessons they don’t need, watching their insurance bills climb, waiting months for a test slot that never happens, and waiting times have increased by a month since the General Election.
‘Nothing could be a more clear example of Labour’s disdain for young people and a practical example of their war on drivers than this, when they so despicably refuse to allow people to take a test to get behind the wheel.’
The government’s recruitment campaign for more driving test examiners to cut waiting times has been labeled a ‘spectacular failure’ after just 3 per cent of applicants were offered jobs
The waiting time to take a practical exam last year was 22 weeks, compared to just five weeks in February 2020, according to the National Audit Office.
The AA said the drop-out rate revealed in the figures was very high and the DVSA needed to speed up the process and do better.
AA driving school chief executive Emma Bush said: ‘Although not everyone applying for the role is suitable and some level of dropout rate is expected, this appears high.
‘This issue must remain under review as students still face long waits to take exams; This affects their ability to access work, education and facilitate their social lives and caring responsibilities.’
