by Nerves Before the Exam Intensify
Imagine the situation: an instructor during the driving test might suddenly suggest you use a flare gun against a neighboring car. Although this is just a hypothetical joke, British novice drivers now face additional stress – the person assessing their skills could be a representative of the military.
Military Examiners Come to the Rescue
The UK Department for Transport has turned to the army to help address the problems with the driving test system. 36 examiners from the Ministry of Defence will conduct testing for civilians one day a week for the next year. This temporary solution aims to reduce the enormous queues, which average 22 weeks across the country.
“Okay, Miss Jones, please take the next roundabout exit, and then fire the flare gun at that blue Fiesta.”
Although the examiners will not be in military uniform and will likely be as polite as the regular ones, the very presence of the military may add tension on the test day.
Who is in the Driver’s Seat?
The Ministry of Defence has its own team of examiners for testing military personnel, and now 36 of them will work with civilians. The cost of this initiative is estimated at £100,000. Simultaneously, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency is trying to hire hundreds of permanent examiners, offering them retention payments of £5,000 to stay in the job.
Bots, Queues, and Inflated Prices
Besides the shortage of examiners, a significant problem is automated bots that instantly take up free test slots. These bots are used by third parties to resell tests, increasing their cost from the official £62 to £500. A new law now allows only novice drivers themselves to book tests directly, which should prevent exploitation through online bots.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander stated that this change would stop the exploitation of novice drivers by online bots.
These measures demonstrate how serious the situation with driving tests in the UK has become. The involvement of military examiners and the fight against technological fraud point to systemic problems that require immediate resolution. Similar steps could serve as an example for other countries facing similar challenges in their driver testing systems.
