Dr Zahid Chauhan OBE welcomes Minister’s response on driving test delays

An Oldham doctor has welcomed a detailed response from the Minister for Roads and Buses about the ongoing problems with the availability of practical driving tests and challenges around booking them.

In his reply to Dr Zahid Chauhan OBE, MP Simon Lightwood acknowledged the frustration of learner drivers and outlined a series of government actions to tackle the issue, including recruiting 450 new driving examiners, expanding training capacity, increasing the number of available tests and taking stronger steps against “bots” and third-party resellers that exploit the system.  

Dr Chauhan said: “I would like to thank the Minister for taking the time to look into this matter and for acknowledging the very real challenges faced by learner drivers across Oldham and the wider country.  

“Learning to drive is a key milestone that opens doors to employment, education and independence and delays of several months are causing serious hardship for many families. 

 “I welcome the steps being taken by the Department for Transport and the DVSA to increase capacity and restore fairness to the system. 

“However, I will continue to monitor the situation closely and will not hesitate to raise these concerns again if progress is not made.” 

He added: “My commitment remains to the residents who have contacted me in frustration and despair, and I will keep pressing for improvements until real change is seen. 

“I will continue to highlight the matters raised by residents and work constructively with the Government to make sure the system works as it should, for the benefit of learners, instructors and families alike.” 

Dr Zahid Chauhan OBE is a councillor for Oldham and a long-standing campaigner on community wellbeing, fairness and access to essential services.