Learner drivers are being forced to pay over £3,000 to drive as the UK fails to improve its public transport infrastructure.
Car insurance experts at Quotezone.co.uk have revealed the exact cost of learning to drive after more Britons are being excluded from travel due to unreliable public transport and financial pressures.
With public transport becoming more inaccessible and unreliable for Britons, learning to drive is more important than ever.
But with rising costs for driving lessons, vehicle tax and insurance, learning to drive is more expensive than ever.
Bus services have been cut by more that 80% in some parts of England and Wales over the past 15 years.
Heavy disruption and strikes within train services have impacted thousands of Britons who are reliant on train travel.
Despite this, the cost of train tickets will soon increase by 4.9% from March 2024, with more strikes planned.
Learner drivers and prohibitive costs
Many Britons must now pay the expense of learning to drive in order to have the basic ability to travel.
The experts have researched the average amount of money a learner driver is expected to pay from start to finish.
Learners must pay £34 to apply online for a provisional driving licence (or £43 by post). This is before they get behind the wheel.
The biggest expense is finding a suitable driving instructor and getting enough practice before the test.
The average cost of a driving lesson in the UK is £34 per hour. The average learner spending 45 hours with their instructor, costing £1,530.
Pupils must then pay to take the vehicle theory test (£23) and the practical test. This is £62 for weekday tests rising to £75 on the weekend.
Additional fees include revision apps and resources and a payment to driving instructors to use the vehicle on test day. Buying a vehicle and getting tax and insurance sorted is an additional cost.
In total, learner drivers are paying £3,142 to get their licence. This does not include the cost of more lessons and tests if unsuccessful after the first attempt.
Learner drivers face prohibitive car insurance premiums
This does not include the cost of buying a car.
Greg Wilson, founder and CEO of Quotezone.co.uk said:
“The realities of learning to drive have been a problem since the pandemic, with test delays and lesson back-logs and now the cost-of-living crisis pushing costs through the roof.
“But young people need a reliable mode of transport and recent bus route cancellations and train strikes have created a renewed interest amongst young drivers and their need to get to work, school or simply on with their lives.
“More regulation on the cost of learning to drive is desperately needed. In excess of £3,000 is an unrealistic sum for most who are trying to learn and save – and that doesn’t include the cost of the car itself.
“Even car insurance is often the most expensive for young drivers, especially ages 18-24 but there are a lot of tips they can try to create savings – such as reducing mileage, parking on a private driveway at night and adding a second more experienced driver to the policy. Just make sure the main driver is the person who actually drives the most miles.
“There are lots of ways to save even for this high-risk group so shop around, pay annually and review prices three weeks from your renewal date when it is often most competitive, and hopefully driving can become more affordable again for our young drivers.”
There are many ways to save money on car insurance.
My View
This latest research is a depressing read. Young people need reliable transport to get to work, visit family and friends and enjoy some unrestricted freedom.
Motorists are seen as cash cows and easy pickings. Learning how to drive, Vehicle Excise Duty, car insurance (which attracts 12% Insurance Premium Tax), potholes, private parking operators – there is no end to it.
Fuel duty + 20% VAT accounts for over 70% of the cost of filling a car.
It costs about £80 to fill the average car with a 55 litre tank. That’s more than a day’s wages for many people.
Wages have not kept pace with the soaring cost of living, leaving many people with difficult choices.
We are told to use public transport to save the environment, yet the infrastructure is woeful, unreliable and too expensive.
Learning how to drive and getting your first car was a relatively affordable and straightforward right of passage. Those days are long gone. Learning how to drive should not be so complicated and expensive.
A move away from conventional petrol and diesel cars will make it increasingly unaffordable for young people to drive.
The roads we drive on are not maintained to an acceptable standard and are riddled with potholes. Local authorities use tried and tested tactics to reject pothole claims, citing you should claim on your insurance.
Where does the money go? Young people and all motorists deserve much better.
What are your thoughts on this?
