DLVA could be scrapped under Andy Burnham's ten-year plan for Britain

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) could be axed under Prime Minister Andy Burnham's ten-year plan for Britain, according to reports.The government agency, which is responsible for maintaining records for drivers and vehicles in the UK, is reportedly among the bodies under review as Labour looks to cut underperforming and excessive Whitehall agencies.Burnham could announce plans to scrap the DVLA in a speech outlining his ten-year plan, expected next month or in January, as part of a wider effort to 'rewire the state'.The DVLA maintains records for more than 53 million drivers in Great Britain and almost 48 million vehicles. However, motorists have frequently reported issues including long processing delays, missed targets for medical fitness-to-drive assessments and difficulties accessing customer support.One option said to be under consideration, according to The Telegraph, is a merger between the DVLA and the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), which oversees driving tests and MOTs.However, the DVSA too has faced heavy criticism in recent years, primarily for its failure to clear the driving test backlog formed during the pandemic. Even today, the average waiting time for learner drivers to take a practical test is around five months. Prime Minister Andy Burnham is reportedly considering scrapping the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) or merging it with the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) While an abolition of the DVLA, or a merger with the DVSA, has yet to be confirmed, government departments have reportedly been sent a rewiring the state commission, asking staff to identify unaccountable arm's-length bodies and poorly performing quangos.Under Burnham's devolution agenda, some of these organisations could see powers transferred to regional mayors.The move follows a previous review of quangos under Sir Keir Starmer, during which the Government pledged to 'reduce complex bureaucracy'.That review led to the abolition of NHS England, Britain's largest arm's-length body. Biggest driver complaints about the DVLA and DVSABoth the DVLA and DVSA have come under fire in recent years for missing targets and underperforming.Last month, the DVLA unveiled an ambitious AI-driven business plan aimed at improving its performance after acknowledging that 'some of our services have not always met customer expectations'.The agency has repeatedly missed its target of assessing motorists' medical fitness to drive within 50 days, leaving some drivers unable to return to work while awaiting decisions.Addressing these issues forms a key part of the strategy, with the DVLA targeting a 10 per cent reduction in average decision times to 45 working days by March 2027. It also plans to make it easier for motorists to notify the agency of medical conditions.The DVLA aims to process 99 per cent of online driving licence applications and vehicle registration certificate requests within three days by March 2027. It also wants to cut average call and webchat waiting times to less than ten minutes.It is additionally targeting higher online transaction rates by allowing motorists to tax their vehicles through the Driver and Vehicles account by March 2027 and introducing a new MOT reminder service by December 2026.The DVSA's most persistent criticism remains its backlog of driving tests, which was investigated by the National Audit Office last year.In its December 2025 report, it stated: 'The failure over nearly five years to resolve the problem of long waiting times for car practical driving tests has exposed underlying issues at DVSA.'Learner drivers in particular have suffered in terms of long waits and having to pay third parties to obtain access to a public service.'Alongside lengthy waiting times, learner drivers have also been affected by bot activity and ticket-touting practices, with automated software monopolising test slots before reselling them to desperate learners at inflated prices.Last month, waiting times for driving tests dropped below 20 weeks for the first time since November 2024, according to official figures. However, the average wait remains 19.7 weeks and is not expected to fall to the Government's target of seven weeks before autumn 2027.This is Money has contacted both the DVLA and DVSA for comment.