Trevor Ross v Registrar of Approved Driving Instructors

Facts

The appellant, Trevor Ross, is a trainee driving instructor who sought a further, third, trainee licence from the Registrar of Approved Driving Instructors. He had previously held a trainee licence from 3 July 2023 to 2 January 2024, and then two trainee licences covering 16 December 2024 to 15 December 2025. He applied for the third licence on 8 December 2025. In written representations of 15 December 2025 he said that he had difficulty obtaining a Part 3 test date and had cancelled two Part 3 bookings, because he was on holiday on one occasion and was let down by his pupil at the last minute on the other. On 5 February 2026 the Registrar refused the application. The reasons given were that the appellant had provided no evidence of lost training time; that the period already held was more than adequate to gain sufficient experience; that Parliament did not intend trainee licences to be issued for however long it took to pass the Part 3 test; and that a licence was not required to take that test. The appellant appealed on 17 February 2026, repeating the difficulties he had experienced in obtaining a suitable test date. The Registrar's Response, dated 5 July 2026, maintained the refusal and added that alternative routes to training were available. The appeal was determined on the papers.