has anyone had real problems renewing their license after a ban?

Question

i was banned for drinking driving for 2 years 3 years ago i regret it,im ashamed of it and i dont condone it any way.since my ban expired ive been trying to get my license back .i was charged £75 to renew it and told id have 2 pay £93 for a dvla medical which i accepted without question as i had done wrong.4 weeks after the 1st medical i received a letter telling me i would have to take another test this time for drug use even though i have not taken any drugs for the last 7 years.i took the 2nd test and waited 4 more weeks then got a 3rd letter telling me my urine sample wasnt suitable for testing and that id have to take another medical!its been 4 months since i took the last test and i still have not heard anything. i phoned the dvla and have constantly been told that the medical board are still making their decision about whether im medically fit to drive.whats bizarre is the dvla have told me that while im waiting im allowed to drive!has anyone else had this grief from them?

Answer 1

According to a mate, your situation is typical. Once they cleared him medically, he was told he had to take a special road test. He failed that 3 times and said it made the regular test (which he passed in 2 tries) look like a walk in the park. It took him 8 months to finally get his license restored. I'd wonder about the DVLA telling you that you can drive whilst waiting. He was told otherwise.