I have begun my driving lessons in St Albans, and it has been enjoyable apart from the extortionate expense, booked up instructors and mythical test date.

Now that I have finished university and require to commute from home to work, I decided it is finally time to start learning to drive.

'Easy' I thought... I will go and book with one of my friendly local instructors as soon as possible.

If you are from the area like me, you would have seen, sworn at or been kind to a learner driver as cars are knocking around seemingly every time you commute around town.

How wrong I was. What followed was an almost obsessive search for a free driving instructor that was available within the next few months.

Despite being warned about the Covid backlog, I was not prepared for the hours of searching that ensued, eventually settling on a commercial driving school.

My next challenge was the price, although I now work fulltime, it is incredibly expensive. £40 is now the going rate for an hour of training and most make two hours mandatory.

I had one instructor that required £500 payment for a block of lessons before I had even got in the car. Granted, they could have been the best instructor in the world - but even that is steep.

Regardless, the £80 transaction must be paid up front to ensure you have a lesson. It is a wonder how anybody in their late teens/early 20s can afford to drive at all. Especially when you usually undertake 30-40 hours of lessons before your test.

Fortunately, I have broken into this selective group, obtaining lessons with the Bill Plant driving school and my fantastic instructor Guv Singh.

I have thoroughly enjoyed taking to the road thus far and somewhat remember to check my blind spots and mirrors, among the other million things to think about when you first start.

Keep an eye out on the roads of St Albans, there are several of us learners about, but I would exercise particular caution if you catch me behind the wheel. (I have only just started).

My time will come to take the all-important driving test, but it is estimated that I will endure the national average wait time of 18.8 weeks.

However, if I become impatient there are options - I have been informed from multiple sources that I can pay my instructor for services like ‘faster driving test’ for a sooner test date.

A process that is now likened to a Taylor Swift ticket release, where companies book up tests and sell them on for commission due to their growing rarity. Particularly, in a city like St Albans where everyone and their dog is trying to become a driver.

I wanted to take this opportunity to warn those parents or individuals about to enter the world of driving, plan carefully and be wary of the consequential costs.

A vital life skill is slowly becoming inaccessible for young people, and I am glad that I am doing it now before it becomes even worse.