Learners face driving test postcode lottery across Wales

Nation.Cymru staff

Learner drivers face a postcode lottery for driving tests across Wales, with waits ranging from just over five to 14 weeks.

New Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) data for August shows Newtown had the longest median waiting time in Wales at 14 weeks, compared with just 5.4 weeks in Llanelli.

Pembroke Dock had the second-longest median wait at 13.8 weeks, followed by Pwllheli at 12.7 weeks, Bangor at 11.9 weeks and Monmouth at 11.6 weeks.

At the other end of the table, Bridgend had a median wait of 5.7 weeks, while Swansea and Abergavenny both recorded 5.9 weeks and Rhyl six weeks.

The figures show the median time between a learner booking and taking their test and reveal substantial differences between Wales’ driving test centres.

However, a separate measure in the DVSA data reveals a different pattern when it comes to learners experiencing particularly lengthy delays.

Analysis by car insurance company Zego found that Aberystwyth had the highest proportion of tests in Wales taken more than 21 weeks after they were booked.

A third – 33% – of tests at the Aberystwyth Park Avenue centre in August were taken more than five months after booking.

Barry was second at 28.7%, followed by Newtown at 22.1%, Bangor at 21.6% and Newport at 20.2%.

Pwllheli recorded 20%, Wrexham 18.1%, Abergavenny 14.9%, Cardigan 14.6% and Monmouth 14.2%.

Across those 10 locations, an average of 21.7% of tests were taken more than 21 weeks after booking.

The two measures do not necessarily produce the same ranking. Aberystwyth, for example, had a median wait of 10.6 weeks despite having the highest proportion of tests taken more than 21 weeks after booking.

Newport’s median wait was only 6.2 weeks, although 20.2% of tests there involved a wait of more than 21 weeks.

The figures highlight the different experiences learners can face even within the same country, with some centres having relatively short typical waits but a significant minority of candidates experiencing much longer delays.

DVSA chief executive Beverley Warmington has acknowledged that waiting times remain too long.

In a statement published online, she said: “I’m not going to pretend this can be fixed overnight. Waiting times remain too long in many parts of Great Britain.

“But DVSA is working hard to improve the situation as quickly as possible.”

‘Hidden cost’

Zego chief executive and co-founder Sten Saar said long waits could also increase the amount learners spend before passing their test.

He said: “The hidden cost of a long driving test wait is staying test-ready while you wait. Learners can therefore find themselves paying for additional lessons simply to maintain their skills, while a failed test can mean starting the process again and potentially facing another lengthy wait.

“That can turn what should be a straightforward journey into a cycle of lessons, waiting and retesting, pushing up the overall cost of becoming a driver before they’ve even got their first car.

“The fact that this experience can vary so significantly depending on where you live highlights how much the postcode lottery can affect the real cost and timeline of getting on the road.

“For young people, this can also delay the next stage of their motoring journey: getting their first car and arranging their own insurance. With the cost of becoming a driver already a major consideration, months of additional waiting can make that transition more expensive and harder to plan for.”

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