Driving Test Cancellation Rules Change – Did you know that the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) have changed the rules around changing or cancelling a driving test?
From yesterday the 7th of April new rules were put into place where a test cannot be cancelled or changed unless 10 clear working days notice are given without you losing the test fee of £62.00. To be clear working days include Monday to and including a Saturday.
Why are they making these changes?
Simply it comes down to test waiting times which presently for most of the country is 6 months. Due to the lack of tests the DVSA have created a black market in people trading tests for extortionate amounts of money, reports show that leaner drivers have been paying on average between £250 & £300 per test slot, a normal test booked direct with the DVSA is £62.00. Unfortunately the half cocked approach by the DVSA is simply playing into the hands of the people who run these bots & apps as most learners would like a nice early driving test but cannot organise a time off or their driving instructor is not available for the following week which means that a lot of tests will get wasted as the learner does not show up for the test booking. Unfortunately some learner drivers need to get their driving licence for various reasons such as a job offer so they are chancing their arm by taking the test without enough training which means they either fail the test or if they get lucky pass it but are not a safe & independent driver which of course will mean more killed or seriously injured people on the roads.
ADi’s (Driving Instructors) report that they are receiving more and more learners contacting them at very short notice stating that their driving instructor is not available for their test, in most occasions because the pupil simply has not had enough tuition so their regular driving instructor is refusing to take them on as a pupil or take them to their test.
Unless you have spoken to your driving instructor and know their availability please think twice before you book a short notice test or use a bot/app as you will find yourself losing your test fee which if booked through an App or on a WhatsApp group may cost you £300. We are also getting reports that the unscrupulous people running the bots & apps are also booking the test for the pupil and once they have received the funds cancelling the test so they can resell it, on some occasions the same test slot is being sold multiple times, clearly a fraudulent act but as they are hidden behind WhatsApp groups they are untraceable so get away with it.
*Please remember to give 10 clear working days notice to the DVSA if you want to save your test fee should you wish to change or cancel your test booking
You can read the full story the DVSA’s blog about the rule change here DVSA