Chippenham MP demands changes to 'broken' driving test booking system

Wiltshire MP Sarah Gibson is demanding action against bots that are "unfairly" preventing drivers from booking driving tests in rural areas.

The Chippenham MP says the 'broken' booking system needs addressing as it's being exploited by automated software, which are selling on test spaces for profit.

It follows one of her constituents in Calne speaking out over the nightmare of booking a test.

Mrs Gibson said it's unacceptable that this hasn't been resolved.

She told Greatest Hits Radio: "For bots to be snapping up test slots and reselling them at a profit is not just unfair, it's actively harming people's futures and holding back the rural economy.

"What is most frustrating is that it doesn't have to be this way. There are excellent simple online verification systems that could stop this overnight."

The Lib Dem MP said it makes her "really angry" that people are being held back from reaching work, training or helping their families in rural areas, saying driving isn't just a luxury, it's a necessity.

She said: "If you live in a village or a small town with very limited public transport, being able to drive can be the difference between you having the opportunities you deserve or being left behind."

The DVSA (Driving and Vehicle Standards Agency) said it has deployed bot protection to help stop automated systems from buying up tests unfairly. However it said: "These applications, however, are constantly evolving and changing, and DVSA’s work on this is ongoing."

The organisation also blamed the Covid-19 pandemic for a backlog of people wanting a driving test. But Mrs Gibson says that excuse doesn't wash anymore.

She said: "I don't think blaming the pandemic is a viable excuse anymore. We're several years on and that's more than enough time to have sorted out a backlog.

"The bigger issue now is the way the booking system is being exploited. Bots are snapping up our test slots and reselling them."

The Government is aiming to recruit 450 new examiners across the country to free up more test spaces, which Mrs Gibson says is "a step in the right direction, but on it's own, it's not enough."

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