The Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has confirmed that learners are facing delays of up to 24 weeks in taking their practical tests at the Hornchurch Driving Test Centre, the borough’s only centre.
The test facility in Station Lane is one of 258 locations across the country to have reached the maximum wait time, as of May 5.
Learner drivers are also facing long delays at other nearby centres in east London, including Goodmayes and Barking.
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Essex test centres Basildon and Brentwood have wait times of 18.8 weeks and 13.2 weeks respectively, according to the DVSA.
As of the end of June, average waiting times for practical driving tests in England has reached more than 22 weeks, up from 14 weeks in February 2024.
The DSVA recently launched a consultation on amending the test booking system, which included a plan to stop bots mass-booking new slots so they can be resold at higher prices on the black market.
A spokesperson for the DVSA said: “DVSA’s goal is to make booking a driving test easier and fairer for learner drivers, and we’re really grateful to everyone who has responded to our recent consultation on improving driving test booking rules for learners.
“We’re now analysing the survey responses and will be planning out our next steps on improving car test booking rules in due course.
“Anyone who chooses to not work within our strict and very clear booking terms and conditions will be subject to investigation and could lose the ability to book tests for learners.”
