Highway to Hell: Why Scots are travelling cross-country for driving tests

“Lockdown has essentially prevented a whole year of driving lessons. There will be a big delay in people being able to drive.”

Every day, Derek, a self-employed driving instructor of 12 years who works with Jordanhill School of Motoring, is submerged within a tightly packed schedule of lessons. A typical work week sees Derek spend 30 hours inside of a tight Toyota as he assists drivers in their pursuit of the highly coveted licence. It’s a tiring job, but as pressure on driving instructors mounts - he feels indebted to offer his expertise to hopeful young motorists.

Thanks to Scotland’s endless lockdowns – Derek and so many other instructors have had to slam the breaks on lessons for months at a time. For learners, the roadside knowledge they need to learn so urgently simply hasn’t been available on a week-to-week basis. Many Scottish learners would have already been on the roads by now, if not for the instability that comes with learning to drive in a post-pandemic Scotland.

On April 26th, Scotland’s restrictions on tests and lessons were eased as instructors were given the green light to pick up where they left off. Unfortunately, learner drivers are still in for a bumpy ride when it comes to booking a theory test. The average wait to book a test is 16 weeks, compared to England and Wales, where that wait is only 4.6 weeks. The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has previously said that tests in Scotland have been unavailable because the 2m social distancing rules have made it impossible for students and teachers to be in close proximity with each other.

“We’ve got a far bigger waiting list now because of the nine months where students couldn’t drive. The demand is a lot higher.” Says Derek. He continues:

“I’d say 50% of my students, before lockdown, had sat their theory. Before the pandemic you could’ve easily had a test within 3-4 weeks of starting lessons, we even had some who sat their theory before coming to see me.” While the vast majority of Scottish learners still face a gruelling 4-month wait, there is a lucky few that have overcome this obstacle - but how?

In recent months, an astonishing number of learners have resorted to travelling cross-country to England or Wales to sit their theory tests:

“I’ve had students go to places like Newcastle, Carlisle, Oxford and Scarborough. I’ve had maybe seven or eight students do this.” Says Derek. Travelling down to England or Wales, for some, is perfectly reasonable, some learners are even doing their tests during holidays.

“I’m in a bit of a rare situation where it just so happens my theory test has been booked in Scarborough, which is right next to the place I’ve had my holiday booked for months. It’s odd to be sitting a test on the first day of a summer holiday, but it might be months before I can even get another.” Says one learner.

However, cross-country travel is a method that’s only available if you can afford to make the journey. There are dozens of learners who don’t have access to a car, others who simply don’t have time to travel such a long distance and those who can’t afford the expenses to keep the car running on long roads, depending on how far away their test is.

There are alternative routes you can take in booking and passing your theory test, such as hiring a duel control car accompanied by an experienced driver and insuring yourself onto your car to practice/sit tests in that instead of a learner car. Derek says:

“I’ve had five practical tests from students, three of who actually sat the test in their own cars because they had been practicing in them and felt more comfortable there. It was easier for them since they hadn’t had lessons with me.”

Even though these methods have the advantage of being cheaper and less time consuming, they still require the learner to have access to their own private or rental vehicle -an expensive option that isn’t available to everyone. This means many learners won’t be able to drive at all, an issue that could become a slow puncture for the economy.

Due to the limited amount of theory tests available, there will be a huge delay in new drivers as the country comes out of lockdown. Not being able to earn a licence might prevent young people from taking up employment, either because they require one as part of their job or they need a car to get to their job – a particularly important issue for rural areas where public transport is poor. Scottish Conservative MSP Finlay Carson said:

“There are genuine concerns for businesses this summer – particularly those in the hospitality and agricultural sector who are struggling to find employees”.

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, the backseat driver behind the country’s tight restrictions, has been guiding Scotland down the road to eventual lockdown loosening. As of June 14th, examiners in Scotland have been granted permission to carry out 7 tests a day rather than 6. The DVSA has also stated that the boost in tests means that there will be anywhere from 15,0000 to 20,000 more practical/theory examinations taking place a month. However, with a whole year of tests missing, many young drivers are left feeling discouraged.

“Some people who wanted to learn to drive have missed out because they’re now going to University, so you’ve got people who have seen how long the waiting list is and now just want to leave it.” Says Derek.

It’s tricky to tell what type of impact the delay in drivers could have on Scotland’s future. While many will be rushing to the roads, wanting to earn their theory certificate as soon as possible, there will – without a doubt – be lots of learners who simply decide they don’t need to drive just now, especially if the virtual workplace is here to stay. For the next couple of years, driving could be in for a long pit-stop.