Chichester has some of the shortest wait times in the country for driving tests

Residents in Chichester can expect to wait six weeks on average to sit their driving test. This puts Chichestder just behind the country’s fastest region Carlisle, where the wait is as low as four weeks, and very far ahead of its slowest region, Cheadle, Manchester, where residents can expect waits of up to 18 weeks.

It also means Chichester’s driving test wait times are much lower than the national average of 14 weeks, a statistic which has surged up from nine weeks since last year due to delays caused by the pandemic.

So, even though today (April 220 is the day the DVSA have confirmed driving tests can restart, eager learners may still have to wait to get their licence and hit the road.

The statistics are drawn from a Freedom of Information act request by HeyCar, an online used car marketplace, to the DVSA. They are based on average waiting times from April 2020 to March 2021.

Dan Powell, senior editor at HeyCar said: “Our latest research provides the most accurate snapshot of the impact of coronavirus on driving tests so far. So, as many motorists look forward to the joys of hitting the open road this summer, certain drivers will be going nowhere.”

“The DVSA say they are putting in place measures to increase the number of tests, including offering overtime and encouraging qualified examiners to return.”