Roadblock Driving tests backlog falls but still sits at over 620,000

BRITAIN'S driving test backlog eased last month but remains nearly three times larger than before the coronavirus pandemic.

- Neil LANCEFIELD

As the Post reported last month driving test spots in Bristol have been very hard to come by, with city learners booking tests in places such as Newport in Wales in order to secure one.

Some 621,230 future practical driving tests were booked as of the end of July, according to new Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) figures.

That is down from 656,649 a month earlier, but is compared with 219,786 at the end of February 2020 before the Covid-19 crisis.

The number of tests taken rose from 158,413 in June to 170,822 in July, while the pass rate remained at least 50% for the fourth consecutive month for the first time since June 2021.