Driving Test Wait Time Nearly 22 Weeks as Target Delayed to 2026

The average waiting time to book a driving test was nearly 22 weeks as of last month, far exceeding the government target of seven weeks by the end of 2025. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander acknowledged that the deadline has now been pushed back to summer 2026. In efforts to address the backlog, new rules limiting changes to bookings have led to a 70% decrease in speculative swaps. Additionally, there has been a net increase of 147 driving examiners over the past year, but demand remains high, prolonging wait times for learners.