DVLA reveals how to get driving licences quicker after months of delays

dailyrecord.co.uk:

The DVLA is urging motorists to use their online services in a bid to avoid delays. It comes as thousands throughout the country are facing huge waiting times when applying for driving licences.

The reason for this is a severe backlog that the DVLA revealed is likely to last until September this year. The backlog has occurred due to staff absences as the Covid pandemic has forced many to self-isolate throughout the pandemic.It means that thousands of road users have faced months of waiting for driving documents to be issued.

However, the DVLA has offered some useful tips for getting your documents quicker. The DVLA website said: “As a result of Covid and the impact of previous industrial action, there are ongoing delays processing paper applications.“We’re sorry for any inconvenience this may cause and our staff are working hard to reduce waiting times.“There may be additional delays in processing more complex cases, for example, if medical investigations are needed as part of your driving licence application.”Online services provided by the DVLA are not expected to face delays.The DVLA website states: “Our online services are working as normal and without delay.“This is the quickest, easiest, and often cheapest way to deal with us.“We recommend that you use our online services where possible."If you have used the DVLA's online service to apply for your driving licence or vehicle registration certificate, you should receive them within five days.However, drivers using paper applications to renew their licence may have to wait longer with those updating their photo waiting the longest.Currently, the DLVA are still processing applications from December 14.If you are applying for a driving licence and are not a UK