Crime & Safety
New DVSA driving test booking rules come into force
Under the new rules, only learners can book and manage practical driving tests.
The change, which came into force today (Tuesday, May 12), is intended to stop commercial operators from using automated bots to snap up appointments and resell them at inflated prices.
New DVSA driving test booking rules come into force
Emma Bush, managing director of AA Driving School, said: “Learner drivers continue to face unacceptable delays in accessing driving tests.
“The data clearly shows more needs to be done to really get a handle on the situation and start to push waiting times back.”
A BBC investigation in December found that driving test touts were offering instructors up to £250 a month for access to their booking accounts.
The National Audit Office later revealed that some learners were paying as much as £500 through the black market for a test slot, with standard fees just £62.
As of April 6, the average wait time to book a driving test had risen to 22.4 weeks, up from 20.8 weeks in January.
In February 2020, before the pandemic, the average wait was just five weeks.
From June 12, learners will only be able to move a booking to one of the three closest test centres to their original choice.
This is to prevent people from blocking slots at distant locations with the intention of swapping to a preferred centre later.
Such practices make it difficult for the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) to plan capacity at individual test centres.
Other recent changes include reducing the number of booking changes allowed, from six to two.
Ms Bush said the ban on instructor bookings is “unlikely to be the silver bullet which turns the tide on long waiting times,” but welcomed it as a step toward an improved system.
She said: “It is only part of the solution, though.
“To really improve waiting times over a prolonged period, there needs to be unrelenting focus from the DVSA on retaining and recruiting driving test examiners.”
The latest restrictions also make it illegal to book a driving test on behalf of someone else.
New theory test questions for 2026
As well as the changes to practical test bookings, the DVSA has also made changes to the theory test.
From 2026, new questions will come in focusing on CPR techniques, including hand placement, compression rates, and depth.
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There will also be questions covering how to identify and operate an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) in a roadside emergency.
The questions, designed with the Resuscitation Council UK, aim to prepare drivers for real-life emergencies rather than just testing theoretical knowledge.
How many attempts do you think it should take to pass a theory and practical driving test? Let us know in the comments.
Contractors have been working at The White Horse on the corner of Spring Road and Ock Street, and the pub reopened on Thursday.
The Greene King pub shut on April 4 so that work could get under way.
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Sean and Kitty Devey, the new managers and their staff team, were rushed off their feet at the weekend.
With the sun coming out on Saturday afternoon, the pub was packed in the garden and busy inside with drinkers watching rugby and football on the big screens.
Kitty said: “It’s been really busy since we opened and we’re glad to see so many customers.
“People have told us they like the pub’s new look.”
New seating and a fresh new blue and yellow colour scheme have been added inside.
Other improvements include a ‘face-lift’ for the toilets, a new darts and bar area, and a redesign for the beer garden – including a new TV screen to show sports.
Greene King had been advertising for a new team to take over the management of the pub.
It said in an advert at the end of last year: “Pub managers of Oxfordshire, looking to run your own show?
“The White Horse, Abingdon is becoming a Hive franchise pub.
“We’re looking for someone to front the business, who is community minded, passionate about great hospitality and who can keep the guests coming back for more.
“A Hive Pub franchise offers you: the chance to be your own boss, and lower operational costs than a tenancy model.
“As a franchisee, Greene King will offer you: a comprehensive induction programme, a fully refurbished pub, that’s ready to trade, we’ll even cover most of the operational costs.”
The White Horse is believed to date back to 1845.
In 1999, Greene King became the new owners and extended the Grade II listed building to provide dining areas.
It was back to the 1940s at the rail heritage centre when a team of actors dressed up in period costumes to bring back memories of the Second World War.
Hundreds of visitors enjoyed watching the actors at the visitor centre next to Didcot Parkway over the Bank Holiday weekend.
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Frank Dumbleton, a volunteer at the centre who is also a photographer, said: “It was great fun at the railway centre over the Bank Holiday weekend with the Steam Into the 40s event.
“Hundreds of visitors were entertained by dozens of re-enactors to show what life would have been like on the railways during the Second World War.”
Thousands of steam railway fans visit the centre every year, enjoying the opportunity to ride on the steam trains and visit other attractions, include a cafe, engine shed, shop and museum.
Oxford’s Campaign for Real Ale branch named its best pub of this year as The Crafty Pint Bar in Langdale Court, Witney, which describes itself as a ‘fiercely independent’ craft beer bar.
The Oxford Branch of CAMRA, which covers the whole of Oxfordshire, said picking an overall winner for the coveted title of best of the year was ‘next to impossible’ with the top three narrowed down to The Crafty Pint, The Brewery Tap in Abingdon and The Red Lion in Yarnton.
With 85 people voting, which ‘may be the largest number ever’, according to the organisation, The Crafty Pint Bar came out on top.
READ MORE: Oxfordshire transport boss Andrew Gant standing down
Melanie Cassidy, landlady of the craft beer bar, said: “It was so lovely to see everyone come out and support The Crafty Pint Bar as we received this monumental award, voted by CAMRA members.
“So many friendly faces came to see us and it humbled me to think this space means so much to everyone not just me.
“The beers are one thing and I’m proud of the ever changing selection we offer, but it’s the people, the community, the way everyone welcomes everyone and how new friendships are forged that makes The Crafty Pint Bar what it is.”
Oxford’s CAMRA added that ‘every candidate was someone’s pub of the year’ as each of the venues nominated won votes from members, and commended the ‘excellent’ quality of the contest.
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