“We’ve made a decision based on the evidence – our consultation found that the majority of learners wanted full control and we have acted to prioritise fairness for learners and tackle exploitation.
“But we recognise that reasonable professionals disagree on this and we respect that.”
But the Conservative shadow transport secretary Richard Holden accused Labour of “tinkering with the booking system while tens of thousands are stalled”.
“These changes barely touch the sides of the real problem,” Holden told the BBC. “This is a government with L-plates on – overpromising, underdelivering, and leaving Britons stuck in the slow lane.”
Introducing these changes in May and June means learners should only ever pay the actual fee DVSA charges, it added.
Beverley Warmington, the DVSA’s new chief executive, said: “Our priority is to stop learners being exploited by third parties and put them in control of booking their driving test.”