The DVSA and NASP met for their third quarterly meeting of the year.

It was attended by seven representatives from the DVSA and three NASP associations – the ADINJC, DIA and MSA.

These meetings provide updates on what the DVSA are doing within the field of driver training and licensing, and questions and concerns from the industry representatives.

This meeting covered Driver recovery • Driver policy • ADI registrar • ADI examiner • DVSA Ready to Pass? campaign.

Demand continues to rise

The biggest area of concern remains driving test waiting times.

Demand for driving tests remains high. In May, the average waiting time recorded was 17.3 weeks. The DVSA is aiming to reduce waiting times to 12 weeks by the end of the financial business year (31 March 2024).

There is 7% (100,000 tests) more demand for driving tests this year. The impact from industrial action and having reduced capacity to provide these tests was highlighted as the principal cause. The DVSA is ensuring it ring-fences a number of tests for learners affected so they can reschedule their tests as close to their original driving test as possible.

However, the DVSA has seen a change in booking behaviour following the Covid-19 pandemic. Prior to the pandemic, the average customer were more likely to wait until their ADI confirmed they were ready to sit their driving test. Now, ADIs are recording an increase in the number of learners who book their tests before they have started learning to drive. In turn it means that there are a high number of tests that are not ready to be delivered.

Lost and found

The DVSA lost 1 million driving tests since the Covid-19 pandemic but have since made these 1 million driving tests available again. It has delivered 550,000 of those tests, with the remaining 450,000 available.

There has been active driving examiner recruitment. Since April 2021, 474 examiners who have entered active testing. The rate of examiner attrition is 15 per month.

Switching on

The DVSA has procured new software in the deployment teams to help book driving tests for driving examiners who work on a shift or part-time basis. This should increase the number of available tests and release these tests further in advance. It provides greater flexibility for both driving examiners and learners.

Support and encouragement

Both the DVSA and NASP discussed how they can further support and guide ADIs in encouraging learners to change booking behaviour back to preCovid-19 behaviour.

Targeting businesses that have breached their booking terms and conditions is one area. So far, 177 businesses have been suspended from using the DVSA booking service. IT and technology teams at DVSA are clamping down on parties using IP addresses and systems that are problematic. DVSA welcomes ADIs who informed them about phishing scams and fraudulent activity.

There was also discussion on the potential of enforcing penalties against learners, ADIs and third parties who abuse the system.

Understanding motivations

When it comes to booking behaviour, the DVSA plans on posting a blog on the ‘safe driving for life’ website. This will target young learner drivers and will encourage them to book their driving tests when they are ready. They would also like to better understand learner driver expectations – especially why they book tests before they have started to learn and how often they swap their tests, and the reality of sitting their driving tests before they are ready.

They are going to gain more data and insight from learners who have received their driving test results by adding additional questions to the (quarterly/yearly/how often?) satisfaction survey. This data will help inform their work, as well as blog posts and messaging to learners.

 

The full minutes of the meeting can be found here.