The DVLA has issued an apology to drivers who have been forced to wait several months for their license applications to be processed.
Some motorists are still waiting for their new permits despite submitting their applications more than 12 weeks ago, it has emerged.
The government agency ended the delays by resolving a backlog of paper applications from last year, BirminghamLive reports.
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It is understood that the group most affected by the crisis has been the over-70s, as they are required to renew their driving licenses every three years.
The public apology was released in a statement posted on the DVLA’s website. He sought to reassure drivers that staff are “working hard to reduce waiting times”, adding he was sorry for the inconvenience.
The agency said delays can often be encountered with “more complex cases”.
“There may be additional delays in dealing with more complex cases, for example, if medical investigations are required as part of your driving license application,” a DVLA spokesperson said.
They added that the current backlog does not affect online driver’s license applications.
“We process millions of transactions each year and there are no delays with our online services, which have been operating normally throughout the pandemic,” he said.
“We encourage customers to use them whenever possible.”
Drivers have been told to expect a wait of six to 10 weeks for any permit requests to be resolved – including address changes and photo changes.
Motorists waiting for their license applications to be processed should be free to continue driving during this time, the agency said.
At the height of the coronavirus pandemic and the UK lockdown, motorists were given a grace period before having to send in their claims.
He saw all driving licenses that were due to expire between February 1 and the end of December 2020 given an automatic extension.
Sadly, that moratorium ended last summer, leaving many motorists with expired licenses rushing to renew.
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