Are driving examiners on strike in 2023? When are DVSA staff striking in March, where are tests cancelled?

Driving test examiners across England, Scotland and Wales will go on strike next month in an ongoing dispute over pay and conditions.

Learner drivers are being warned to expect more disruption to practical tests as members of the PCS union working for the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) join other civil servants in a series of walkouts. Around 1,600 DVSA staff, including examiners, will stage a rolling programme of strikes running from Monday 6 March until Tuesday 28 March.

The latest action follows four weeks of strikes at test centres in December 2022 and January 2023 that saw thousands of tests cancelled. The PCS says the action cost the DVSA £2.8 million in lost driving test revenue, with thousands more learners set to be affected by March’s strikes.

The strikes do not affect theory tests but do affect candidates sitting car, motorcycle, lorry, bus, coach and tractor tests in March, as well as trainee driving instructors sitting their ADI part two or three tests.

The action leaves learners who have already endured two years of disruption, cancellations and long waiting lists facing even further issues and the possibility of having their scheduled test cancelled again. Recent figures revealed that candidates in some areas face a wait of up to six months to get a test appointment as almost half a million learners try to secure a slot.

What if my test is affected?

Learners due to sit their driving test at one of the affected centres on a strike day can try to reschedule it themselves using the DVSA’s online service. To do so, you have to give three working days’ notice or you will be charged the full fee to rebook. You can check the last date you can change your test without having to pay again here.

If you choose not to reschedule, the DVSA says you should still attend your test appointment as scheduled on a strike day unless it has contacted you and told you not to go. If your test is cancelled due to the strikes, it will automatically be rebooked by the DVSA and you will receive details of your new test date within 10 days. You will also be able to claim out of pocket expenses if you travel to sit a test and it is cancelled.

When are driving examiners on strike?

DVSA staff are striking on a region-by-region basis, taking two days of action in each area on the following dates:

Which test centres are affected?

The PCS has given the DVSA a list of test centres where examiners will go on strike. The agency has also warned that other centres could be affected but it will not know this until the day of the action. Not all examiners are members of the PCS union, so tests at other centres could go ahead.

So far the full list of affected centres is as follows:

6 and 7 March: London and south east

9 and 10 March: South west and Wales

20 and 21 March: East Midlands, West Midlands & Eastern

23 and 24 March: North west and Yorkshire & Humber

27 and 28 March: Northern and Scotland