The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) has met its target in the time taken to process online applications for standard driving licences, according to the National Audit Office.
It has been able process 95% of the online applications within three working days of receipt in all months since with April 2020, with the exception of May 2021.
The figures have been quoted in an NAO report the DVLA’s performance in recovering from a backlog in processing applications that emerged during the Covid-19 pandemic.
It says that while the processing of standard driving licences has returned to normal levels, there are still delays in handling applications from drivers with medical conditions.
In addition, there have been significant delays in processing paper applications going back to staff being unable to work from DVLA’s processing centre during lockdown.
Changes in transformation
The report says the agency began its Evolve digital transformation programme in 2019 and brought forward some changes in response to the pandemic lockdown. This included the introduction in July 2021 of an online service for provisional driving licence applications, which has been estimated to have reduced the number of paper applications by around 20,000 per month.
Other changes have included the launch of an online service for driver tachograph cards in March 2021 and enabling staff to work on scanned copies of certain paper documents at home without the need for remote access to sensitive databases.
But some planned digital developments, such as customer accounts for tracking applications, have been deferred.
The Evolve programme involves the replacement of legacy systems, an increase in automation and the further digitisation of services, but head of the NAO Gareth Davies said this will take time to have its full effect.
“While the DVLA’s digital strategy aims to make the application process more efficient, the full benefits of this remain three to five years away,” he said in a statement released with the report.
