Learner drivers in the borough are missing out on getting their driving tests, or facing punishing charges, because rogue firms are using bots to hoover up slots.

Speaking in the House of Commons, the Twickenham MP, Munira Wilson, who also represents Teddington residents within her constituency, called on the government to crack down on the exploitation of the driving test booking system.

The official price for a driving theory test is £23 while the practical test should be £62, however third-party firms, who have snapped them up, are charging up to four times this figure.

Munira Wilson MP raised issue in the Commons (Credit Parliament TV)

The MP challenged Transport Ministers to end the scandal, saying: "Learner drivers are increasingly falling victim to a flourishing black market in driving tests.

"Third parties are using bots on the government's own website to snap up driving test slots, selling them for sometimes double or triple the price, with one of my constituents seeing one advertised for £240.

"Even driving schools are gaming the system.

"So, could I ask the minister, with AA Research showing the most vulnerable, including young care leavers, are being hit the hardest, what is the government doing to crack down on this exploitation and will ministers stop the bots?"

Leader drivers face unfair charges to book a test (Credit DVSA)

Transport Minister, Richard Holden MP, said he had a meeting earlier this week with the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) about this issue.

He said the organisation is taking step to identify firms using the bots. As a result, he said: "There has been a significant drop in traffic to these services."

The minister said the current waiting list for the test centre in Isleworth is 8.5 weeks and it is 7.3 weeks in Tolworth. Consequently, he said: "There is no need for people to use any of these bots, they can book a few weeks in advance."

The Conservative MP for Buckingham, Greg Smith, confirmed there is a wider problem of being able to book a driving test with firms using bots to grab slots. As a result, he said the delay at one centre in his constituency has reached six months.

He asked ministers to change the way driving test slots are released and move away from a system where they are released at 6am on a Monday morning, which gives rogue firms using bots an advantage in hoovering up the slots.