DVSA chiefs win bonuses despite driving test backlog

BOSSES at the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) shared up to £30,000 in performance bonuses despite huge backlogs for driving tests.

Learner drivers have been waiting for several months to secure tests as they were suspended during lockdown. In some cases, candidates have been forced to re-sit their theory exams because their certificates have expired.

Despite the large backlogs, the agency’s annual accounts show that three directors received bonuses of up to £5,000, while a fourth received up to £10,000. They all earn between £95,000 and £105,000 per year.

Loveday Ryder, the company’s chief executive, was awarded £5,000 on top of her £125,000 salary.

Danni Boxall, from the Taxpayers’ Alliance, said: “This is yet another example of the public sector rewardsfor-failure culture that’s driving Brits around the bend.”

The DVSA said: “Our work includes enforcement activity, supporting the vehicle testing industry and promoting vital road safety messages to all road users – not just learner drivers. But we understand how frustrating the current high demand for driving tests is, and we are working tirelessly to provide learners with the tests they need.”

The agency said it had launched a campaign to recruit extra examiners and now offers tests on weekends and public holidays.

Candidates in some parts of the country have been unable to book driving test slots until next year.

The delays have led to the emergence of an online driving test black market, with learners paying profiteers up to £235 to secure a slot – more than three times the standard fee.