‘They have you over a barrel’: how scammers, touts and bots took over driving tests

‘The core of this problem is that there are not enough practical tests for everyone’: driving instructor Rachel Newland. Photograph: Antonio Olmos/The Guardian

I have much good fortune in my life, but in one respect I am unlucky: I live in the part of the country with the longest waiting times for driving tests, and I have been learning to drive.

I began learning in 2022. In June 2023, I was test-ready. But when I tried to book my test, there were none available until mid-November, meaning I had to pay for six extra months of lessons so I wouldn’t forget what I had learned.