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TESTING TIMES
Waiting times for driving tests DOUBLE as learners face huge delay
Transport minister Lilian Greenwood said some learners wait longer because they choose centres nearer home
WAITING times for driving tests have more than doubled with learners facing up to six months’ delay.
The hold-up jumped from an average of 8.2 weeks in September 2019 to 18.8 weeks last month.
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More than half a million people were waiting to take the practical driving test in August.
Some 13 test centres have closed since 2020 — 22 in the past nine years, Department for Transport figures reveal.
The centre in Hendon, North West London, had a 24-week delay for most of the past two years.
And tests in Goodmayes, East London, faced similar hold-ups.
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AA Driving School’s Camilla Benitz said: “More has to be done to address this.”
And Tory MP Neil O’Brien said: “The Department for Transport need to massively up their game to bust these appalling backlogs.”
Transport minister Lilian Greenwood said some learners wait longer because they choose centres nearer home.
She also said measures to reduce waiting times include recruiting more examiners and doing tests at weekends.
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