Driving licence renewals, provisional licence applications, and name changes to current licences are just some of the services impacted.
Although the number of paper applications awaiting processing has reduced from a peak of 1.6 million in September 2021, the number reported by the DVLA in February 2022 is 1.1 million. More than one fifth of the 1.1 million applicants have been waiting for 10 weeks or longer.
In his letter, Huw Merriman MP stated: “While some progress has been made on tackling the backlog, far too many drivers are still waiting far too long to have their licences processed.”
He continued, “By what date does the DVLA plan to eliminate the backlog and return to processing approximately 400,000 paper applications at any one time? The situation is urgent. Drivers are waiting too long to have their applications processed.”
The Transport Committee has requested data on the current workforce tackling the backlog. Particularly, how many of the delayed applications are being held up by DVLA employees working from home. Their questions include:
- If the backlog is due to employees working from home, are the delays due to technology limitations, data protection, or other reasons?
- What percentage of DVLA employees tackling the backlog are working from home full-time / part-time?
- Does the DVLA has sufficient office space to return to pre-Covid working practices?
Drivers with disabilities face “unlawful” discrimination
A spokesperson for the DVLA said:
“Our online services are working as normal and without delay. We handle millions of transactions every year and are currently issuing 200,000 driving licences each week.
“There may be additional delays in processing more complex cases, for example, if medical investigations are needed as part of your driving licence application.”
Mr Grant, MP for Glenrothes, said the contrast in service for those with and those without medical conditions is “almost certainly unlawful”, and warned that the Government could be facing “a massive compensation bill if they do not get their act together pronto”.
Speaking in the Commons, he labelled the situation “gross discrimination against people who have to declare a medical condition”, adding they are forced to use an “outdated manual system” rather than the online one.