Driver from Oxfordshire says wait for tests is putting young people off driving

A new driver from Oxfordshire says deals for tests to causing people to be put off from learning to driver or to turn to the 'black market' which has emerged in getting practical driving tests.

It's comes as this week the RAC warned drivers against using these third party sites calling them a 'black market' that can cost up to three times as much as an official test.

With the average post-pandemic wait for a practical driving test still at around four-and-a-half months across England and Wales, the RAC is warning learners to avoid websites offering to book or alert them to available test slots, and only ever use the official Government site.

Since January 2023, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), which is responsible for the driving test, has issued 283 warnings, 746 suspensions and closed 689 businesses for misuse of its booking service.

Unfortunately however, the RAC has found many unofficial sites are still trying to exploit learners struggling to become qualified drivers.

"A friend used someone on Snapchat to book a test within two or three weeks"

Learners desperate to beat the test backlog are regularly being sucked in by a ‘black market’ that uses bots to book test slots faster than any human could. These slots are then resold at overinflated prices, or by paid-for services offering to alert users to test cancellations in their local area as they become available.

While the official driving test costs £62, the RAC’s research shows some sites are reselling tests for up to £195 – more than three times the official price.

Facing a wait for a test of up to 7 to 8 months, Kieran from Wallingford paid £180 pounds to someone via Snapchat, after a recommendation from a friend.

"He said I need your full name, drivers license, address, and obviously it's not ideal giving out that information, because you don't know where they are going."

Despite the cost being well above what the practical test should cost Kieran said he was facing pressure from family and work to pass.

Kieran did get a test in a few weeks and passed. But he says the wait is putting people off:

"I know a lot of people avoiding driving due to how expensive it is and the wait for a test The normal GOV.org booking driving test is in 7 or 8 months time and if you fail that you might be looking at a year and half just to try to drive."

The DVSA is taking steps to quickly clamp down on the black market for booking driving tests, but the RAC has found many slots can still be bought through third parties online as they are sold via encrypted WhatsApp chats. On these channels, sellers will often use the ‘disappearing message’ function so conversations aren’t traceable.

Other third parties are profiting from the backlog through ‘cancellation alert’ schemes and apps, which charge users a one-off fee to receive alerts every time a slot becomes available sooner than their original test. While these sites require legitimate proof of a DVSA test, sign-up fees can still set drivers back nearly twice the amount of an official test, with ‘VIP packages’ advertised for up to £117.

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