A large number of practical driver assessments have been cancelled due to a pandemic-driven shortage of instructors across Perth.

The Department of Transport confirmed the issue to 6PR Breakfast on Friday after Perth driving instructor Shaun told the program on Thursday that practical assessment bookings were impossible to secure, while pass rates in WA were the lowest in Australia.

Pass rates by jurisdiction below (each jurisdiction filters results differently):

DoT managing director Iain Cameron told Breakfast host Gareth Parker on Friday just 47 per cent of their assessors were currently available due to WA’s COVID mandates and Omicron peak, with 400-450 average assessments usually released daily.

“There’s no doubt we’re experiencing difficulties at the moment … part of our plan when we got as high as this [in the pandemic] was just to slow things down,” he said.

“So we’re probably just having to push things out a little bit, but there are bookings available.

“The [booking] system is not perfect, it was designed in another era. We are looking at it.”

Tap PLAY below to hear more on the instructor shortage.