Driving instructors could be banned from booking tests

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) is also considering preventing bookings being swapped between candidates.

Learners face a huge backlog to take a driving test, with 603,000 future tests booked as of the end of April.

That was up from 521,000 a year ago.

Bots are using complex systems to block-book new slots so they can be resold on the black market for inflated prices.

Nearly a third of learners, newly qualified drivers and their parents or guardians who responded to a call for evidence by the DVSA said they had used an unofficial booking service to get earlier test dates, paying an average of £122.

Bookings made through the DVSA website cost £62 for weekdays and £75 for evenings, weekends or bank holidays.

Currently, instructors are able to book and manage tests for their pupils, and tests can be swapped between learners.

The DVSA’s consultation on removing these abilities stated that it wants to “stop the mechanisms that make reselling possible”.

It added: “Preventing reselling rather than an outright ban is a better approach.”

Minister for the future of roads Lilian Greenwood said: “This consultation is an important move towards giving learners more say over how and where they can book, alongside setting out options to better enable DVSA to block bots from stealing slots, so learners can get on the road without unnecessary delays.

“Working with the DVSA, we want to make driving test booking fairer, protect all learners from exploitation and reduce lengthy waiting times.”

DVSA chief executive Loveday Ryder said the agency has been “working tirelessly” to reduce waiting times.

She added: “DVSA’s goal is to make booking a driving test easier and fairer for everyone while preventing excessive charges for learner drivers.”