Drawing on nearly a decade of experience in driving tuition through PassMeFast, CAPSIL has launched Instruct Me, a new marketplace designed to help ease the ongoing DVSA backlogs and modernise how people learn to drive.
Now live in Manchester, Instruct Me will expand across the UK later this year.
The launch comes at a crucial time for the industry. During the COVID-19 pandemic,
driving tests were suspended across the UK, leading to severe delays. This created
unprecedented demand for driving instructors, with a national survey last year finding
that:
* 56.4% of instructors have a wait list
* 63.4% of instructors have no availability for lessons
* More than 70% of instructors in Scotland, the North East and North West have no
availability for lessons
* 15% of all instructors with wait lists said they won’t be available for over a
year.
With more learner drivers waiting than ever, the DVSA are actively recruiting driving
instructors. However, limited availability for driving instructor tests has resulted in just
a 3.46 % increase of ADIs since in the last year.
Instruct Me connects learner drivers with Approved Driving Instructors (ADIs) in their
area, offering tools to compare and choose the right fit. Each instructor profile is verified by Instruct Me, and only DVSA-approved ADIs can list on the platform.
Each profile includes verified learner reviews, a photo, biography and a transparent hourly
rate. This helps learners to make an informed choice based on what matters to them.
This could be price, reputation, vehicle or teaching style.
A centralised marketplace displaying available driving instructors is a key part of reducing the bottleneck. The DVSA’s public driving instructor register is optional to join and only displays the instructor’s name, contact details and ADI grade.
For learners, making an informed decision is critical, yet comparing driving instructors is
challenging when the most important information isn’t available.
One of Instruct Me’s first learner drivers, Moreen Horsfield, said: “Due to long wait times for tests near Liphook where I’m from, I booked my practical test in Leeds. I didn’t know anyone there, so Instruct Me was the perfect platform to find a credible instructor for lessons before my test. My instructor explained things clearly, helped me feel confident—and I’m pleased to say I passed!”
The platform also brings a digital edge to a traditionally offline industry. According to the DVSA’s 2024 survey of driving instructors, 68.2% of instructors still take cash payments, 4% accept cheques, and only 8.8% use payment apps.
Instruct Me offers digital payments, in-app messaging and online scheduling that today’s learner drivers expect, whilst easing the administrative burden on driving instructors.
By bridging this gap, Instruct Me is helping modernise the experience for both learners
and instructors, making driving lessons simpler, smarter and more connected.
Nicholas Dear, CEO of CAPSIL, said: “Learner drivers have waited years for a more modern and transparent way to book driving lessons. The shortage of instructors with lack of availability often means learners choose the first person they find and overlook the importance of choosing the right instructor – a decision that can cost them time, confidence, and even test success.
“Instruct Me is designed to ease pressure on the system by helping learners make informed choices from the start, with tools to compare instructors and find the best fit first time. This launch is part of CAPSIL’s ongoing commitment to modernise the driving tuition industry and creating smarter, more connected solutions for learners and instructors.”
