Learner drivers in Scotland are facing some of the longest waits in Britain for a practical driving test, with delays approaching 30 weeks at one Scottish test centre.
Analysis cited by the SNP from the RAC Foundation places Forfar, Callander and Arbroath among the test centres with the longest average waiting times, with Forfar reported at 29.7 weeks.
Scottish test centres account for six of the nine centres with the longest average waits in the figures, putting particular pressure on learners who need a licence for work, education and everyday travel.
The UK Government has responsibility for driving tests through the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, with efforts to reduce the backlog having repeatedly fallen behind earlier ambitions.
The UK Government had previously aimed to reduce average waiting times to seven weeks by the end of 2025, before that timetable was pushed back.
The SNP says Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander subsequently acknowledged in June that the target may not now be achieved until autumn 2027.
The continuing delays can have a particularly significant impact in rural Scotland, where alternatives to travelling by car can be limited and obtaining a driving licence can open access to employment and education.
For learners, a long wait can also mean continuing to pay for lessons simply to maintain their driving skills while waiting for a test appointment.
SNP MSP Lloyd Melville said:
“Quite frankly, the Labour UK Government is asleep at the wheel and it is Scottish learner drivers being hit the hardest.
“The Labour Party promised to get a grip of this mess, but in yet another broken promise Scottish test centres face the longest delays on these islands.
“If you are learning to drive in Forfar then expect to wait nearly 30 weeks for a test, that impact on learner drivers, particularly in rural constituencies like mine, cannot be overstated.
“This was meant to be sorted by the end of 2025, but instead all we’ve had is dither, delay and excuses, that cost folk money and denies them opportunities to access work, education and leisure.
“Now it seems this chaos will rumble for at least another year with the Labour UK Government no closer to getting a grip of this utter shambles.
“It’s hard to believe if these delays hit learners this hard south of the border we’d see this lack of action, it’s no wonder most people think we could run things better as an independent country.”
Whatever the political argument surrounding responsibility for the backlog, the practical problem facing learners is considerably simpler.
Waiting months for a driving test means more lessons, more expense and, particularly across rural Scotland, potentially a much longer wait for the independence that comes with being able to drive.
