DVSA's clapped-out booking system gets bot slapped as new boss rides in

The UK's Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has appointed a new chief exec to tackle spiraling waits for practical driving tests with bots overrunning its aging booking system.

Beverley Warmington will join the agency on January 5. "I have every confidence she will grip the driving test backlog and robustly oversee the reforms needed to ensure learners can get on the road when they are truly ready and safe to do so," said roads and buses minister Simon Lightwood.

Most practical driving test slots at DVSA centers are snapped up immediately after release – 24 weeks in advance. The National Audit Office (NAO) found that 198 (70 percent) of the agency's 240 permanent test centers reported a 24-week wait in September. The average wait is 22 weeks, with DVSA not expecting to meet a seven-week target until November 2027.

Much of the demand comes from two types of ...