Learners causing 'chaos' in village where test centre offers 'easier' test

The number of learner drivers using roads around a village is causing "chaos" due to people believing it to be easier to book a slot and pass their test there, locals say.

Miskin, Rhondda Cynon Taf, has seen high numbers of people learning to drive in recent years with long waiting times at test centres in parts of the UK.

"Everyone's got to learn but it seems everyone wants to learn here," said one resident.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) said average test volumes at Llantrisant Driving Test Centre "have not risen since 2018."

The centre was previously used for lorry exams but started issuing driving licences in 2018.

Local resident Alun Fellows described it as "chaos".

"You've got learner drivers sometimes spending five to ten minutes reversing into a parking spot," he said, adding that pupils were taken out "early in the morning till late in the evening".

"I also think the learner drivers are making it dangerous not just for the people living here, but also for cyclists and dog walkers."

Ash Hallwood works as a deep-sea diver, and said when he is home in Miskin he sees many L plates on cars.

"There is a lot of learner drivers from eight in the morning, and it always seems to be on the school run."

"Everyone's got to learn but it seems everyone wants to learn here."

The pass rate at Llantrisant is 50.6%, slightly above the national average of 48.7%, UK government figures show.

The National Audit Office said there was a backlog of 1.1 million tests that were not carried out in the 2020-21 financial year because of the Covid-19 pandemic, around 360,000 of which had still not been booked.

The average waiting time was 22 weeks in September, but at 70% of test centres the wait has hit 24 weeks – the maximum allowed.

The average waiting time for a car driving test at Llantrisant as of December 2025 is also 24 weeks.

Nathan Pockett, a driving instructor from Pass with Pockett, said he has known people to come from as far as "Penzance and Cumbria" to take their test.

"I don't think it's easier to pass in Llantrisant - if they're competent enough to sit a driving test, they are competent enough to do that anywhere in the UK."

He added that people "do come from all over the country because they think the waiting time isn't as long".

Raj had driven his friend from Bristol to take his test at Llantrisant after his friend failed his test four times locally.

"We're hoping it's fifth time lucky because we heard Llantrisant is easier," he said.

Raj's friend did not want to be named but told the BBC after his test he had failed for a fifth time after his car stalled.

Maisie Jones, 18, passed her test first time in May last year at Llantrisant, saying it was "straight forward".

"I just drove down Miskin Road to Costa Coffee roundabout and to old Llantrisant and back.

"I only had one fault and passed," she said.

A local mother who asked not to be named said she had struggled to book a test spot for her 17-year-old son.

"If you go to the test centre, there'll be one local person and six other people from all over England because it's hard to book tests there, and it's getting increasingly hard for locals to book now.

"We tried to book in November and there was one slot in January left and one left in February and nothing in March or April," she said.

A DVSA spokesperson said average test volumes at the site have not risen since 2018.

"All candidates are assessed to the same standard and the result of their test is entirely dependent on their performance on the day."