LEARNER drivers in Lancashire will be pleased to know that after a long wait caused by the unprecedented coronavirus situation they can finally get back on the road and eventually take their tests.

With driving lessons back in gear, Local Driving School, the professional franchise that offers driving lessons across the UK, has found that learners on their waiting list around Preston have some of the quickest pass rates in the country.

The Preston area, which covers most of Lancashire, was found to be the fastest in the North West and the fourth highest in the UK overall with a pass rate of 55.30%, significantly higher than the national average of around 43%, meaning that fewer retakes are necessary and therefore learners tend to earn their licenses much faster.

Local Driving School marketing manager Claire Davies said: “With the provisional world on standstill for the past few months, we’re all excited to be back on the roads teaching and helping our students move towards a full driving licence.

“However, with lessons only recently restarting and test centres just opening, demand is at an all time high, and so learners are queuing to learn to drive.

“With the information provided, we hope students can look further afield from their nearest test centre to reduce their waiting times.”

As such Local Driving School Instructors will be encouraging learners from all across the county to look to their Preston branch to help avoid lengthy waiting times.

Driving lessons and tests had been suspended for much of this year due to the pandemic.

However, lessons and theory tests were able to resume from July 4 with practical tests following suit on July 22.

Despite this, learners have in many cases been left on waiting lists due to backlogs caused by the disruption.

For a full breakdown of Local Driving School’s findings, go to: https://www.localdrivingschool.co.uk/the-twenty-fastest-and-slowest-places-to-get-your-driving-licence.