The DVSA have just announced another step in the long journey to replace the current driving test booking system. The contract has been awarded to Kainos, and work is starting on the new Driver Services Platform (DSP).

In plain English? They’ve picked a company to build it. They’ll start with car tests, trial it with a small group, and then roll it out once it passes government checks. The aim is a system that can cope with demand, block bots, and stop learners being exploited.

So far, so good.

But here’s the question every instructor is asking. Will ADIs still be able to book tests directly for pupils? Or is this the first sign that the Online Booking System (OBS) we’ve relied on is heading for retirement?

That’s the bit we don’t know.

What we do know

The DVSA blog talks about “putting customers at the centre” and learning lessons from the backlog. They say this isn’t just an update of TARS (the 20-year-old system we’ve all battled with), but a complete rebuild. It will cover everything from test bookings to the ADI register.

It’s a Tier 1 government project, the same scrutiny as a motorway or airport runway. That should mean it’s robust. But it also means layers of approvals and decisions that don’t always match the day-to-day of teaching real learners.

What we don’t know

Back in July, the DVSA ran a consultation on changing the rules around booking. We summed it up at the time:

“Is this a step forward or a tighter noose?” Read it here (https://theditc.co.uk/news/dvsa-consultation-on-test-booking-changes-a-step-forward-or-a-tighter-noose/)

The worry then was clear. Could this be the start of removing instructor access to test slots? Today’s update doesn’t confirm or deny it. The silence is loud.

Why it matters

Here’s the reality. Waiting times are already 20 to 24 weeks in many areas, with some centres showing nothing at all. In that climate, booking access isn’t a luxury. It’s survival.

Right now, instructors can get online and grab the rare slots that match their diary and their pupil’s readiness. That matters, because when a pupil panics and cancels, you can often salvage the space. When they book a slot you can’t cover, you can step in and fix it. Without that, it’s wasted time, wasted money, and wasted chances.

And yes, plenty of instructors say, “I never book for my pupils,” or, “It’s their job.” That’s fine. OBS is optional. But once it’s gone, it’s gone. You might never use it, but taking it away removes a tool that others rely on to keep their businesses afloat and their pupils on track.

For a one-car instructor, that can mean a month of empty slots with no way to refill them. For bigger schools, it’s a scheduling nightmare. Either way, it’s not just admin. It’s the ability to manage the only currency we really have: time.

Calm, but cautious

We don’t know yet if ADI booking access is being removed. It might stay. It might be reshaped. For now, the DVSA are focusing on the positives – modernisation, flexibility, putting customers first. And maybe that’s exactly what we’ll get.

But it’s also the biggest shake-up to the booking system in two decades. If ADIs are sidelined, it will impact learners, businesses, and test readiness.

What now?

Stay alert. Stay involved. The DITC will keep tracking every update, stripping back the jargon, and asking the questions instructors are actually worried about.

And we need you in the conversation. Would losing booking access throw your diary into chaos? Or would you welcome it as less admin on your plate? How would it affect your business, your pupils, your sanity?

Tell us. Because if this is truly a step forward, we need to make sure it isn’t a step over the instructor.