Off-island examiners help to cut driving test waiting times

Early last year the waiting list was about four months long, but it has now dropped to two-and-a-half months.

The main issue was only having one on-island examiner at the time. Former driving examiners from the UK and Isle of Man were used to try to help clear the backlog.

The last known average wait in the UK was over 18 weeks. The local position is much better.

‘The average waiting times for car (Category B) driving tests is 58 working days,’ said Traffic and Highways Services lead officer Colin Le Page.

‘These times compare favourably with the UK, where there is an examiner shortage, resulting in waiting times of many months in some areas.’

There are several options Guernsey has been using to cut waiting times.

‘If we have a long waiting time for tests, we can sometimes carry out driving tests on Saturdays and also have the option to use examiners from the UK, who have examined here in the past,’ he said.

He said that if an examiner was absent due to sickness, and it was not possible to cover the test with another examiner, it would contact candidates as soon as possible to reschedule.

Learner motorists in Alderney have only to wait for the examiner's next bi-monthly visit, with no waiting list and three practical test slots still available for the next scheduled date.

‘An examiner from Guernsey conducts practical tests in Alderney for approximately one day every four to eight weeks, depending on demand,’ Mr Le Page said.

Roadworks are taken into account on the day of the test to determine which route to use, and try to keep as close to the time schedule as possible.