Gill German has welcomed new action to make it easier for learner drivers in Clwyd North to secure a driving test, following long-standing concerns about increased waiting times and unfair booking practices.
Being able to drive can be life-changing for many people across Clwyd North, opening up opportunities for work, leisure and everyday tasks. However, for too long, local learners have faced significant delays in securing a test, often due to bots and third-party services snapping up appointments and reselling them at inflated prices.
These new measures will tackle that issue head-on. From 12 May, only learner drivers themselves will be able to book their driving test, bringing an end to unofficial booking services and apps reserving slots on behalf of others. This change is designed to ensure that appointments go directly to those who need them most.
Alongside these reforms, the government is increasing overall testing capacity by recruiting more driving examiners, expanding training programmes and offering overtime schemes. This will help deliver nearly 2 million driving tests across the country between 2025 and 2026, reducing backlogs and improving access for learners.
Further steps will come into force from 9 June, preventing learners from moving their test to centres far from their original booking. This will help protect local availability, ensuring that test slots remain accessible for people living in Clwyd North.
Gill German said:
“Making driving test bookings fairer and more accessible is so important for unlocking opportunity here in Clwyd North. I’m delighted that action has been taken to crack down on unfair practices and put local learners first.”
These changes mark an important step towards a more transparent and accessible system for learner drivers across the area.
