Driving test waits 'not timely'

Figures released by Transport Minister Dean Nalder show young motorists have to complete an average of 50 online searches before finding a suitable driving test booking.

The Opposition says the figures show it is still extremely hard for young drivers to get a test in a timely manner.

Shadow transport minister Ken Travers said it is so hard that many drivers are being forced to travel to regional WA to get a test booking.

In a media statement issued in August headlined "Drivers log online in droves to save time", Mr Nalder suggested the new booking system had been a great success.

"Since the Department of Transport launched its online live booking service for practical driving assessments, about three million availability searches and 60,000 bookings have been made," Mr Nalder said.

He said millions of online licensing activities - including payments and demerit point checks - had been conducted online since the department's website was launched last year.

"This website has given people around-the-clock access to tasks that previously required an individual to attend to in person or by telephone," Mr Nalder said. "The number of driving test-related calls has more than halved in the past financial year - with about 100,000 fewer of these calls in 2013-14, which has enabled our call centre staff to assist customers with more complex inquiries."

Mr Travers said that, while the new online system was welcomed, it had created a lack of transparency on the length of time people had to wait for a test.

"The number of searches people are having to undertake demonstrates it is still extremely difficult to get a test in a timely manner," he said. "People are now being forced to travel to regional WA to get a booking.

"Driving tests are undertaken on a cost-recovery basis, so the Government has no excuse not to employ more examiners to ensure people can get a booking in a timely manner.

"I am concerned the Government is running down the system in preparation to privatise it."

A department spokesman said the number of online searches did not directly reflect booking availability and that the system had been designed to encourage customers to perform multiple searches to find a location and timeslot that worked best for them.