Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to increase the number of driving tests in (a) Epsom and Ewell constituency and (b) England.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s (DVSA) main priority is upholding road safety standards while it works hard to reduce car practical driving test waiting times.

On the 23 April, the Secretary of State for Transport appeared before the Transport Select Committee and announced that DVSA will take further actions to reduce waiting times for all customers across Great Britain.

These actions include incentivised additional testing offers for driving examiners, doubling permanent training capacity for new driving examiners, and a call for volunteers from those currently in other roles (but qualified to examine) to carry out practical driving tests.

DVSA is continuing with recruitment campaigns across the country to provide as many tests as possible. Since July last year, DVSA has recruited and trained 290 driving examiners (DE) who are now in post and delivering driving tests.

The test centres that serve candidates in the Epsom and Ewell constituency are Tolworth, Chertsey, Morden and Mitcham.

Since July 2025, one new entrant examiner has passed their training course and is now conducting tests at Tolworth test centre, with a further new entrant currently undertaking training and one booked on a training course. DVSA also has one new entrant undertaking training and if successful will begin testing at Chertsey. DVSA has also made an offer of employment to a new entrant examiner for Morden test centre. A further three new entrants who have passed their training course are now conducting tests at Mitcham, with a further new entrant awaiting to start their training and one new entrant currently undertaking training.