'Driving test waits are so long because examiners don't earn enough'

Clearing the back driving test wait times relies on improving pay and conditions for examiners, industry professionals have said.

The government has pledged to provide 10,000 extra practical test slots each month, after transport secretary Heidi Alexander said the average wait time of six months was "totally unacceptable." She promised to double the capacity to train new examiners.

Yet Craig Harris from the Sheffield and District Driving Instructors Association said the difficulties in recruiting and retaining examiners had arisen because they could make more money teaching learners than assessing them.

He said: "Examiners used to make a decent wage. Now, instructors make their wages in 14 hours, so why would anyone go and work 37 and a half hours":[]}