It’s becoming “almost impossible” to book a driving test via the government website, driving instructors have warned. This is due to the rise in bots on the booking system. The only way for learners to book a practical test is on the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) website.
New slots are made available by the DVSA at 6am on Monday. But according to one driving instructor, it’s still not possible to book a driving test. “No matter how fast I am,” Aman Sanghera, a driving instructor from west London told Sky News, “there’s nothing available.” She added that “all of the tests are taken by bots, they are definitely taking over the booking system.”
Bots are automated software that is programmed to mimic a human. They are used to carry out tasks such as searching for and reserving a driving test appointment on the website and can do so faster than any human can. Individuals and companies use them to then resell the slots at a profit. While this is not illegal, it is against the DVSA’s terms of use.
Over 800 business accounts have been closed by the DVSA over the past two years for misuse of the service.
Instructors are able to book tests on behalf of their students via a dedicated service that bypasses the queue. This is to hopefully allow them to secure a slot more efficiently. But, according to Sanghera, students have been “forced to go to third-party sites” for “the same test dates which are then available later on during the day at a premium rate of like £200-£300.”
A driving test typically costs £62 through the DVSA and so “students are being exploited” she said.
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