After years of long waiting times for scheduling driving exams, the CBR driving skills agency is now “on course to be within the standards again by the end of the year,” said a spokesperson. Industry associations of driving schools are less optimistic.
It has been agreed that a first practical exam for a driving license can be scheduled within seven weeks, while a re-exam takes four weeks. After the corona pandemic, in which practical exams did not take place or took place to a lesser extent, waiting times increased to more than 22 weeks in April 2022. Two years later, first exams can be scheduled on average after more than nine weeks and re-exams after six weeks.
Trade associations hope that the CBR will fulfill its promise, but have less confidence. Those who want to make a reservation now will only have their turn in September, according to BOVAG. There are also major regional differences. For example, the waiting time in Maastricht is now four weeks, but in Oss it is nineteen weeks. “On average it looks positive,” says Jos van Zuylen of industry club VRB, “but I am skeptical that they will have eliminated that in December.” According to Roger Keijbeck of industry representative FAM, the crux lies in the shortage of examiners at the CBR.
The CBR has been working on this, the spokesperson says. Forty people have just been recruited and “all classes are full until the summer.” Examiners also work overtime, so that selected driving schools can drive on Saturdays and public holidays. The CBR emphasizes that waiting times also decrease as the success rate increases. That is now just above 50 percent, “that is too low.” It is a call to driving schools that they must do better. If they provide better prepared candidates, fewer exams are needed and waiting times will decrease, the spokesperson said.
According to the industry, the long waiting times actually contribute to that score. Students pause lessons in anticipation of the exam, “because otherwise it would be very expensive,” says Van Zuylen. Keijbeck also sees that during re-examinations, students only resume classes a little before the test date. “Not good and it does not improve the success rate.”
The CBR, the industry and the ministry have improvement plans. The exam capacity must be increased, just like the level of instructor training, says Van Zuylen. It must also be investigated whether the testing method still fits in with current times. The VRB spokesperson does not expect the pass rate to suddenly reach 60 percent next year. “That would be nice, but it is not realistic.”
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Tags: CBR optimistic exam waiting times industry skeptical Domestic
