Hundreds of driving examiners will be recruited to slash the massive test backlog.

It is part of a wider plan that the government says will reduce waiting times to seven weeks by December 2025.

Driving instructors have branded the current system a “nightmare” and expressed doubts that the proposed changes will make any material difference.

Figures released by the Department for Transport (DfT) earlier this year indicated that the number of driving tests taken reached a record level in the 12 months to the end of March, at 1.9 million.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has now set out a plan to tackle long waits, with learners having to pay more for tests that are booked out by third parties trying to make a profit.

Among the measures announced is the recruitment and training of 450 driving examiners across Great Britain.

The DVSA will increase the period for changing or cancelling a test without losing money from three working days to 10 working days beforehand in a bid to discourage late cancellations.

There will also be a consultation over proposals to increase the amount of time for booking new tests for learners who fail after making serious or dangerous mistakes. Learner drivers currently have to wait 10 working days before being able to book another test.

Current rules around tests being booked up to 24 weeks in advance will also be looked at to see if learners could sign up further ahead.

Lilian Greenwood, minister for the future of roads, said passing a driving test was “a life changing opportunity for millions” but “sky-high waiting times for tests in recent years have denied that opportunity to too many people”.

“No one should have to wait six months when they’re ready to pass, travel to the other side of the country to take a driving test or be ripped off by unscrupulous websites just because they can’t afford to wait,” she said.

Campaigners welcomed the plan.

Ellen Pasternack of End The Backlog, the campaign to reduce driving test waiting times, said: “We are pleased that the DVSA has committed to recruiting 450 new driving examiners. It is clear that the backlog that built up during Covid will not be fixed with business as usual – and the DVSA have recognised this with this move to expand their capacity.

“These new examiners are not yet in action – but we hope that they will be administering tests as soon as possible, and look forward to seeing the effect this has on waiting times.

“In the meantime, the government can look into ways to invest in the system longer term so that this problem, once fixed, does not recur.”

A spokesperson for the DVSA said: “The measures will help make the driving test booking system fairer for learners, better protecting them from exploitation, and continue to provide them with the tools to help them pass their test.”

They added that the agency was encouraging feedback about its booking system and processes.

The government says new terms and conditions for driving tests will come into force on 6 January 2025 which “make it clear that driving instructors and businesses must not book driving tests on behalf of learner drivers they are not teaching”.

Only driving instructors or businesses that employ instructors can use the service to book car driving tests, it adds.