Learner drivers have to wait up to six months for a test slot in some parts of the UK (Picture: Getty Images)
Examiners who quiz soldiers on how to drive tankers will now test students on their motoring skills in bid to cut a huge backlog.
The Department for Transport,working with the Ministry of Defence (MOD),have announced 36 defence driving examiners will spend one day a week testing learner drivers for the next 12 months.
They added that while the examiners,who aren’t members of the armed forces but instead are civil servants,will focus on car driving tests they might be brought in to test bus and lorry drivers too.
This is to try and cut the huge waiting times for tests – which is down to a backlog from the Covid-19 pandemic and third party websites using bots to scoop up any available slots and selling them at a premium.
In London,the wait times are thought to now be nearly six months,while elsewhere in the country learners face a 20-month wait on average for a test slot.
She said: ‘We inherited an enormous backlog of learners ready to ditch their L-Plates,who have been sadly forced to endure record waiting times for their tests. Every learner should have an equal and fair opportunity to take a test.
‘We’re taking decisive action,and these new measures will deliver thousands of extra tests over the next year,helping learners get on the road sooner. This will ease pressure on the system,removing barriers to opportunity and supporting economic growth as part of our Plan for Change.’
The military driving examiners,who are not military personnel but civil servants employed by the military,usually specialise in testing soldiers and their ability to drive cars,fuel tankers and armoured carriers.
Al Carns,the minister for the armed forces,said the deployment will have no negative impact on military operations as part of the project estimated to cost £100,000.
A cartoon by Guy Venables (Picture: Guy Venables/Metro)
Carns said: ‘The Armed Forces and civilians working within the Ministry of Defence have always been ready to step up when the country needs them – and this is another example of that commitment in action.
‘Our military driving examiners bring skill and professionalism from testing Service personnel to prepare them for some of the toughest conditions imaginable.
‘By supporting civilian testing,they’re helping to get more learners on the road,keep Britain moving,and deliver for the public.’
The motoring group RAC Foundation welcomed the move.
Steve Gooding,the foundation’s director,said: ‘t is good to see steps being put in place to put a stop to those touting tests to frustrated learners – candidates stuck in the queue should at least be reassured that they aren’t being elbowed aside by those simply seeking to make a quick buck.
‘What will really deter the touts and tackle the queues would be a return to the more reasonable pre-covid waiting time for tests which we hope the arrival of a platoon of military examiners alongside the new DVSA recruits will help deliver.’
Chris Bensted,a driving instructor trainer and theory specialist from Orpington,said he is glad that the government is taking action to address the backlog,but he is concerned about the impact on the pass rate.
Chris,who is also a member of a forum advising the DVSA,told Metro: ‘Our concern,when it comes to military examiners,is whether it will affect the pass rate?
‘I believe the pass rate is higher with military examiners,but that is often put down to the fact that they are dealing with military personnel,who are basically willing to do what they are told,so it is a different group of people.
‘We will be looking at those pass rates with interest to make sure we are not letting people on the road that are not of the standard,or equally,the other way around – they might expect more or different.
‘Are they going to be making the candidates feel comfortable rather than having an authoritarian approach,which is something the DVSA has been trying to move away from for years?
When asked about the plan to cut out third-party websites by allowing only learners to do their booking,Chris said the new rule might mean learners who are not ready will insist on booking and doing their test and fail,adding to the backlog.
He said: ‘It is going to address cutting out bots. However,what it is doing is putting the control of the test into the hands of people who have already proven that they are not capable of managing that. Because what they’ll do is turn to their instructor,who will say “you’re not ready,’ and say “I’m taking it anyway.”
‘With instructors having less engagement and control over that situation,we are likely to see more people take their tests who are not ready,and that is a big concern.’
The government has previously vowed to clear the backlog by summer 2026,but Metro understands this target will be missed.
Chris said the average wait time for tests across England has gone up from 21 weeks in December last year to 22.8 weeks.
The expert said: ‘It has gone up,not down,and we were promised by December that the wait time would be reduced.
‘But more bums on seats – bringing in the military examiners – is a positive step from the point of view that there are more tests available. We need to manage how those tests are used so they don’t go to waste.’
Would-be drivers and their parents have been equally frustrated by the long queues.
Mum Sara Thornton,from Aylesbury,told Metro was left with no choice but to book a test for her son Henry,150 miles from their home and the roads he had practised on as no other slots were available.
She previously called for a ban on the third-party apps and websites which were hoovering up tests and selling them on.
Industry experts have said the massive backlog is a hangover from the pandemic,causing there to be enough slots but not in the right places with the highest demand.
Many examiners also left the industry or dropped out during the training,leaving a shortage of examiners,which is ongoing despite a push to recruit 450 new examiners earlier this year.
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