Only learner drivers to be allowed to book tests

Only learner drivers will be able to book driving tests as part plans aimed at reducing long waiting lists and preventing slots being sold at inflated prices.

Transport Secretary said limiting third parties would be banned from reselling slots and stop people being "exploited" by online bots.

but Heidi Alexander told MPs on the Transport committee that waiting times for driving tests would not be brought down to seven weeks by summer 2026.

She said the government as well as changing the law on who could book tests, examiners from the Ministry of Defence will be brought in to try to reduce the backlog.

The Department for Transport said 36 defence driving examiners will be brought in to conduct tests one day week for a year.

Recruitment of 316 new examiners has resulted in a net gain of only 40, as others have left.

Ms Alexander also said a limit would be placed on the number of times a driver can move or swap a test, and the area they can move a test to once they've booked it.

In April, BBC Verify found that the average waiting time across the 319 driving test centres in Great Britain was 22 weeks, with three-quarters of centres hitting the maximum average wait time of 24 weeks.