Motorists are being alerted to imminent changes at the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) that will impact many in the coming days. The DVSA, responsible for MOTs, driving tests, and other key motoring services, including theory tests, is set for a shake-up over the festive period.
According to the RAC, 43.7 million MOTs were conducted in 2023 alone. Theory tests also see a high volume annually in the UK, with DVSA figures from January to March 2024 showing 666,000 car theory tests completed, alongside 561,000 ‘practical’ car driving tests during the same timeframe.
This amounts to millions of practical or theory tests throughout a year. During peak times, the DVSA reportedly manages about 4,000 calls daily, a figure that surged due to the pandemic.
Now, those needing to contact the agency for vehicle-related queries will encounter days when it’s completely closed or operating reduced hours. Starting December 23, Christmas opening times come into effect, with normal service resuming post-January 2, reports Devon Live.
The DVSA has announced: “Driving test centres, vehicle test stations and DVSA customer service centres will have different opening hours during Christmas and New Year. DVSA’s online services and information will still be available on GOV.UK.”
They also warned: “The bank holidays will affect the last date to change or cancel your theory or driving test.” It’s crucial to note that ‘normal’ hours will apply on certain days.
However, throughout the festive season, it’s going to be more challenging to discuss vehicle tests and other related issues. This comes as the DVLA is also set to implement a similar scheme that will impact tens of thousands of drivers.
So when do the DVSA Christmas hours start?
According to the DVSA, most driving test centres and DVSA vehicle test stations will be open on Monday, December 23. It remains unclear how many will not be closed on this day or which ones will remain operational.
However, the DVSA assures that the customer service centre will operate ‘as usual’. Normal hours seem to be from 8am to 7pm, based on various online accounts, but this is uncertain.
The Christmas changes become more noticeable on Tuesday, December 24. The DVSA only states that ‘some centres will be open’.
It’s unclear which ones these are. The customer service centre will be open from 8am to 4pm.
As expected, on Wednesday, December 25, driving test centres and DVSA vehicle test stations will be closed. The customer service centre will also be closed.
On Thursday, December 26, the customer service centre will remain closed. However, some test centres and test stations will be open – although no information is readily available on which locations this could include.
Then, on Friday, December 27, some centres will again be open – again, which ones is not known. The customer service centre will be open from 8am to 4pm – so get calling if you need to.
The weekend is fast approaching. On Saturday, December 28, some centres will be back in operation, although the customer service centre will remain closed.
Sunday, December 29, sees a similar pattern with some centres open but the customer service centre staying shut. Monday, December 30, brings a change as some centres and the customer service centre, operating from 8am to 4pm, will be open.
New Year’s Eve – Tuesday, December 31 – despite the celebrations, some centres will be open and the customer service centre will also operate from 8am to 4pm. However, on New Year’s Day, Wednesday, January 1, 2025, the customer service centre will be closed, though some centres will be open.
Then, on Thursday, January 2, most centres and stations will be open, with the customer service centre resuming normal operations. For contact details of the DVSA, visit their page on gov.uk.
Theory tests may also pose a problem during this period. The deadline for cancelling theory tests over Christmas and New Year is also provided by the DVSA, including the last dates to change your test without having to pay again and the final date to cancel your test and receive a full refund.
The DVSA has stated that the final date to make changes without incurring additional charges or to cancel with a full refund (online) fluctuates during the festive period. It could be as short as four days or as long as seven.
That’s for online transactions. The details differ for the last date to change without having to pay again or cancel with a full refund if you prefer to do it over the phone.
Again, this needs to be done several days in advance. For complete information, refer to the DVSA details.