LEARNER drivers were faced with a wait of at least six months for a test across Bradford, latest figures show.

New figures from the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency show that learners were waiting at least 24 weeks to take their driving test at Bradford’s testing centres in Heaton and Thornbury as of the end of March – far exceeding the Government's six-week target.

READ MORE: Which driving test centre has the best pass rate in West Yorkshire?

This was up from one week and 14 weeks respectively at the end of March 2020.

The coronavirus pandemic saw waiting times at driving test centres across Great Britain shoot up, as tests were halted during successive lockdowns.

The DVSA does not record the exact length of time for waits over 24 weeks, so the true figure could be higher.

Across West Yorkshire, learner drivers looking to book a test at centres in Halifax, Horsforth, Huddersfield, Leeds, Skipton and Steeton, also faced a 24-week wait.

The centres with the shortest waiting times in the district were Heckmondwike, at four weeks, and Wakefield at eight weeks.

Bradford Telegraph and Argus: Driving instructor Ayub Khan (Image: T&A)Driving instructor Ayub Khan (Image: T&A)

Ayub Khan, a driver instructor at iDrive Bradford told the Telegraph & Argus that as of Wednesday lunchtime there were no driving tests available to book at either of the two centres in the city.

He said: “I used to guarantee to my students that I would get them through their test within three months – but I can’t anymore as I struggle so much to book test dates for them.

“One of the reasons it is so difficult is down to these cancellation apps that hoover up any cancelled tests.”

He added that if a student is desperate, there are companies that charge for test dates and they will sit refreshing the booking website until they find one – but this can cost up to £200.

The DVSA said that it had since cut down waiting times, with 23 per cent of test centres now having a wait of 24 weeks, and a further 23 per cent within the target of six weeks as of November – although it could not provide figures on which centres had improved.

Chief executive of the DVSA, Loveday Ryder, said that it had taken "swift action" to tackle the impact of the pandemic.

However, she added that more than half of learners are still failing their tests and urged them to check the "Ready to Pass" checklist available on the DVSA website.

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