From 12 May, learner drivers in the UK must book their own driving tests – a rule change that strips instructors of the power to book on behalf of their students and aims to smash the black market for test slots.
The shake-up, which will be followed by further restrictions from 9 June, is designed to reduce waiting lists that have stretched to six months and to stop bots and resale firms bulk-buying slots. A BBC investigation in December revealed that some driving instructors were offered kickbacks of up to £250 a month to hand over their official booking login details to touts. Those touts then booked tests in bulk and sold them to desperate learners on WhatsApp and Facebook, charging as much as £500 for a slot that normally costs £62 on weekdays or £75 on evenings, weekends and bank holidays.
“Learner drivers must now book own tests from 12 May to combat tout reselling and six-month waiting lists.”
Under the old system, instructors could book tests for their students, but that is now banned. Any tests already booked by instructors remain unaffected, but going forward, only the learner – or someone they authorise to help them, provided the learner is present – can make, change or cancel a booking.
To book, a learner must first speak to their instructor to confirm they are ready, then obtain their instructor’s reference number, which must be entered when booking to ensure the instructor is available. A learner can ask another person to help them manage the booking, but that helper must sit with them while doing so, and all confirmations must be sent to the learner’s own email or phone number. If the learner does not have an email address, the helper can help set up an account.
The changes also tighten limits on rescheduling. Since 31 March, learners have been allowed only two changes to their booked slot – down from six under the old rules. Those who had already used up their six changes under the old system are allowed two more from 31 March. Changing the date or time counts as one change, moving to a different test centre counts as one, and swapping the slot with another learner also counts as one. Changing multiple elements at the same time – for example, both the date and the test centre – counts as a single change. If the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) itself changes the test, that does not count against the limit. Anyone needing more than two changes must cancel and rebook, provided they give at least 10 working days’ notice to receive a refund.
From 9 June, a further restriction comes into force: if a learner wants to move their test, they can only move it to one of the three test centres closest to where their test is currently booked. The DVSA advises learners to book only at a test centre they intend to use and to choose a realistic date when they expect to be ready.
The question now is whether these measures will be enough to dismantle the lucrative resale market that has preyed on learner drivers and clogged the system for months.