Labour is facing accusations of exacerbating the youth unemployment crisis following the quiet abandonment of a target to tackle the practical driving test backlog. Ministers had pledged to reduce waiting times for a practical test to seven weeks by December 2025, a goal aimed at improving mobility for young people seeking employment or training.
However, current average waiting times have more than tripled, reaching 22 weeks, an increase from 18 weeks prior to Labour's election victory. The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA)'s latest annual report indicates that the seven-week target has been effectively scrapped, with the agency now listing 'No date set' where a December 2025 deadline previously appeared.
This development is particularly concerning as Prime Minister Andy Burnham is reportedly preparing to announce measures to address the youth unemployment crisis. A government-commissioned review by former health secretary Alan Milburn highlighted a lack of transport as a significant barrier for young people entering the workforce or pursuing education, especially for those without a car or a driving license.
The Tories' shadow transport secretary, Richard Holden, criticized the move, stating, "Labour has not fixed the driving test backlog, they have simply stopped promising to fix it." He added that "deleting the target deadline does not delete the queue of young people stuck waiting months for a test they need to get to work, to college or to a job interview." Holden proposed that Conservatives would focus on recruiting more examiners and implementing overtime programs to increase test availability.
Mark Born, head of training at AA Driving School, described the lack of a set target as "a blow to learners who still face unacceptably high waiting times." He emphasized that the ability to drive is vital for young people's independence and their capacity to secure employment or attend educational institutions, calling the high waiting times an "ongoing barrier to people’s social and economic mobility."
This situation unfolds as MPs on the Commons transport committee launch an inquiry into the impact of limited mobility on young people's career prospects. The number of young people aged 16 to 24 categorized as NEETs (not in education, employment, or training) has surpassed one million, the highest figure since 2013. Milburn's report warned that this number could rise to one in six within five years.
A National Audit Office (NAO) report from December last year identified multiple factors contributing to the driving test backlog. These include a significant backlog of tests from the 2020-21 financial year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a shortage of examiners, and issues with examiner retention attributed to uncompetitive pay and safety concerns. Despite numerous recruitment drives, the DVSA has only hired 83 new examiners against a target of 400.
The NAO report also highlighted that the delays have led to individuals paying inflated prices, sometimes up to £500, on unofficial websites for test slots. The DVSA's ability to accurately gauge demand has been hampered by third-party websites using automated bots to book available slots. The report noted that 30% of respondents in a DVSA survey indicated a need to drive for their jobs, underscoring the economic impact of these delays. At the end of last year, 70% of test centers experienced wait times of 24 weeks, the maximum allowed.