As you know, we committed to developing a new driving test booking system before the pandemic focussed greater attention on the current system’s limitations.
However, the pressures placed on the current system - including the increase in demand for driving tests and the use of bots to cheat learners out of being able to easily book a test – has given us the opportunity to build a system that can deal with this new reality.
We turned our attention to building a new booking system that would look a lot different from the one that we originally envisaged.
There has been a great deal of work done so far. This includes specifying the new system, planning its operational life and securing the necessary funding to properly manage the system over its projected lifetime
We're really happy to be able to tell you that we’ve reached an important milestone in the project. We’ve awarded the contract to Kainos to help us build and develop the new service and help us ensure that we are building the right service for our customers.
Now we’re through the approvals process, we can start building the new service that will transform how driving tests are booked and managed.
Back to basics: what are we trying to do?
The new driving test booking system, properly known as the Driver Services Platform (DSP), project was started just over 4 years ago – before the recent waiting times challenges. We wanted to replace the current system, called the Testing and Registration System (TARS), which is now 20 years old.
But we're not simply building an updated version of TARS.
This is our opportunity to create a modern service that puts our customers at the heart of what we do, delivering a flexible platform that better meets everyone's needs. The new system will incorporate lessons learnt from the waiting times issues to prevent learners from being exploited in the future and manage the unprecedented high demand for tests.
However, it is not solely designed as a solution to fix these challenges.
What we've been doing since our last update
We last updated you about DSP in February 2023. We've been working hard since then to reach this significant milestone. We want to thank everyone who has helped to shape the work that has happened so far through their feedback and input.
DSP is considered a Tier 1 project, which puts it under a level of scrutiny similar to that for a new motorway or airport runway. So the governance and approvals process has been rigorous and taken a long time to complete, and rightly so - this is a public service funded by public money.
TARS is much more than a booking system. It's used by DVSA to:
- manage all practical test bookings,
- administer the statutory Approved Driving Instructor (ADI) and Compulsory Basic Training (CBT) registers,
- and record mandatory training for professional lorry and bus drivers.
We have broken all these complex parts of TARS down into separate pieces so that we can ensure DSP delivers them in a fresh new way to meet all our users' needs.
What will the new supplier do?
We have a substantial task ahead of us, so we'll break each service into smaller, manageable parts. We're starting by focusing on booking and scheduling car tests.
Customers for other services, such as lorry and motorcycle tests, will need to wait a bit longer for their new system. Each category is a separate service with its own unique requirements and user needs – so we’ll make sure we treat them as such.
We'll continue to build on previous customer research both from external users and DVSA colleagues who use the system to ensure the service we're creating genuinely meets their requirements.
To help with this, we'll create a limited beta version, which means we'll have a working service restricted to a small number of users. This will allow us to thoroughly test that the service works properly, does what customers need it to do, and has all the necessary processes in place to support it.
Once we're confident that that new system is performing as needed, it will undergo a thorough assessment by the Government Digital Service (GDS). All of this must be completed before we can move the service onto GOV.UK for all customers wanting a car test.
Continuing to put our customers at the centre
Throughout this process, customer research and user feedback will be central to our approach. We're committed to ensuring that the voices of driving instructors, learners, and all our service users continue to guide our development decisions.
Moving forward together
The current driving test booking system has served us for 20 years and we’re excited to be able to announce such a significant milestone in the development of its successor.
We remain committed to keeping the driver training industry updated as things progress. We'll continue to share updates about our development milestones and opportunities for your input.
This represents a significant step forward in modernising our services, and we look forward to delivering a platform that truly serves the needs of everyone in the driving community.
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