LEARNER drivers in Colchester may have to wait until March to take their test.

And failing on the day could see them waiting up to six months for a resit.

Mark Cole, The Driving Therapist, said the lack of available tests has affected the mental health of learner drivers, causing an increased anxiety around passing.

Mr Cole attributes the lack of test slots to a diminished number of instructors and examiners.

He said: “The number of examiners and instructors had dropped post-Covid.

"It is slowly starting to increase, with the DVSA hiring new examiners, but people are leaving and retiring at a faster rate, so it is not resulting in an increase.”

On the mental effect of waiting for a test, Mark said: “I am a driving therapist, so it is important for my clients to have steady progression with the aim of a test at the end.

“As there are no tests, I am having to ease off lessons when they are test ready, driving every two to three weeks to tread water. This is causing massive anxiety increases.

“It’s about exposure, if you are not driving on a regular basis anxiety will increase.”

A spokesperson for the DLVA stated that the health and safety decision to cease driving tests during Covid has caused a backlog.

As more people turned 17 during this time, the demand outgrew supply, with more people fighting for test slots, with less instructors and examiners available.

This has led to the rising popularity of third party sites to book tests, as well as people from London booking their driving test in Colchester, then not showing up.

On this, Mark Cole said: “People from London will book a test in Colchester, thinking that it will be easier to pass.

“They will come down before the test to try the route and see, for instance, the magic roundabout by Hythe Tesco, realise it’s not as easy and then not show up for the test.

“That means someone from Colchester who could’ve passed that day hasn’t had the chance.”