New driving test centre considered amid backlog

A new driving test centre could open in Wolverhampton in a bid to tackle the "significant challenge" of booking a test.

Empty offices at the University of Wolverhampton Science Park would be converted into a new centre under plans submitted by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA).

The average wait for a driving test in September was 22 weeks, but has reached six months at nearly three quarters of centres across the country, latest figures from the National Audit Office (NAO) show.

The application for the centre said the "increased demand and existing delays" could not be met through existing provision in Wolverhampton and there was an "urgent need" for one to serve the area.

It would accommodate between 50 and 100 tests per day within opening hours of 07:00 to 18:00 GMT at the offices at the science park off Coxwell Avenue, which have been empty since 2024.

To offer the maximum number of tests possible, 14 examiners would need to complete between seven and eight tests each a day.

The DVSA said it was currently facing significant challenges related to booking driving tests and, at present, the demand to book tests disproportionately outweighed the number of tests available locally.

"The DVSA is therefore actively and urgently working to invest in new test centres to address the growing demand for driving tests, with a particular focus on areas where there is particularly high demand or where current test centres are oversubscribed," documents accompanying the application stated.

Another benefit was the introduction of "new, meaningful test challenges" ensuring candidates were assessed under "more realistic and varied conditions".

Citing Wolverhampton as a high-demand area, the application added that by combining "enhanced testing standards with improved administrative capacity, the move to [the site] represents a strategic step toward delivering faster, more effective services and a better experience for both candidates and staff".

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.

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