Learner drivers overpay for tests and struggle to find teachers after lockdown

theguardian.com:

Desperate learner drivers are paying double the going rate for tests on the secondary market, while others are struggling to find an instructor, as the industry grapples with a huge backlog of pupils owing to Covid.

Nino Shankischvili, a London-based learner, told the Guardian she paid an instructor £530 for three tests because she was unable to get an appointment at her local test centre. A practical exam booked through the official Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) website costs just £62.

Tests and lessons were halted during the Covid lockdowns, a situation that meant an estimated 500,000 pupils had their courses disrupted or put off learning the skill. This had a big knock-on effect when restrictions ended as this cohort had to compete with a new crop of people old enough to drive.

The high demand means the average waiting time for a driving test is now nearly 15 weeks, although it is a lot longer in some places, including in cities such as London, Birmingham and Cardiff, where no tests are available to book for up to six months.

This squeeze has turned driving test slots into a commodity, with firms exploiting the area of the DVSA booking system aimed at driving schools to bulk book tests to resell, sometimes via instructors.

A recent BBC investigation found learners paying more than £200 for slots acquired this way.

Mark Oakley, the managing director of AA Driving School, said the lockdowns had “left a long shadow over the industry” with many learners and even trainee instructors unable to progress due to delays with their tests.

“For many learners, especially young people, getting their driving licence is a gateway to further education, employment and independence,” he said. “Sitting in a queue for months and