Concerns Over North Wales Driving Test Backlog Raised in Senedd
A pressing issue affecting learner drivers in North Wales has been brought to the attention of the Welsh Parliament, with North Wales MS Mark Isherwood urging the Welsh Government to take action to address the growing backlog of driving tests in the region.
According to reports, long wait times for driving tests in North Wales have become a significant concern, with local driving instructors expressing frustration at the delays. Mr Isherwood, who represents North Wales, raised the matter during a recent meeting of the Welsh Parliament, questioning the Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales about the steps being taken to address the issue.
The concerns were sparked by correspondence from the North Wales Approved Driving Instructors Association (NWADIA), which highlighted the ongoing problems faced by learner drivers in the region. The association noted that despite claims of a reduction in waiting lists, the reality on the ground tells a different story. As Mr Isherwood pointed out, "It’s now nearly eight months since the North Wales Approved Driving Instructors Association, NWADIA, first copied North Wales MSs on their correspondence to the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, DVSA, noting that the reduction in waiting lists for candidates to seven weeks you referred to had yet to be achieved."
The DVSA’s own data, as cited by Mr Isherwood, reveals that waiting times in North Wales vary significantly, ranging from 10.5 weeks in Wrexham to 18.5 weeks in Rhyl. Furthermore, recent correspondence from NWADIA to the DVSA expressed concerns that the February waiting list was 7.6 weeks for Rhyl, 15.4 weeks for Bangor, and 8.1 weeks for Wales overall. The association questioned whether changes to the driving test are distracting from efforts to address the backlog and issues with the booking system.
In response to Mr Isherwood’s concerns, the Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales committed to meeting with NWADIA and investigating the data further. He acknowledged that there appears to be a discrepancy between official figures and what is being reported by local driving instructors. "It’s pretty obvious from what Members are raising today that there seems to be a discrepancy between official figures and what we are hearing from other sources in terms of the average wait," he said. "I think we need to delve into those figures and check which are most robust, and ensure that the figures fully represent the technology that is being used by third parties to sell on booking slots and make profit from making people wait, quite frankly."
The Cabinet Secretary’s commitment to addressing the issue has been welcomed by local driving instructors, who are eager to see a resolution to the backlog. As reported by Wrexham.com, the concerns over the driving test backlog in North Wales have been raised in the Senedd, with Mr Isherwood calling for action from the Welsh Government to address the growing concerns among local driving instructors.
The issue highlights the need for closer collaboration between the Welsh Government, the DVSA, and local driving instructors to resolve the backlog and ensure that learner drivers in North Wales have access to driving tests in a timely manner. As the situation continues to unfold, Wrexham.com will provide updates on any developments.
In a statement, a spokesperson for Wrexham.com said, "We are committed to providing our readers with the latest news and updates on the issues affecting our community. We will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as more information becomes available."
