Waiting for your driving license: More examiners should solve the problem!

Waiting for your driving license: More examiners should solve the problem!

A solution to the urgent problem of long waiting times for driving tests is currently being worked on in Saxony-Anhalt. The shortage of driving examiners has left many aspiring drivers frustrated. Young people in particular, like Viet Anh Nguyen, who are tired of waiting, have often been left without exam dates. The chairman of the Saxony-Anhalt Driving Instructors Association, Reiner Nuthmann, describes the situation as problematic. In the past, many exam dates were arranged without much effort, but today you often just need luck to get an appointment. In Magdeburg, for example, the appointments are only activated online three times a week and are taken within seconds, which leads to a standstill in the driving schools.

Mario Schwarz, the head of the technical testing center in Saxony-Anhalt, has now brought a promising solution to life. He announced that experienced driving instructors should be given the opportunity to further qualify as driving examiners. This is intended to help solve the problem of not enough auditors available. An exemption now also allows you to take the exam without an engineering degree. So far, one former driving instructor and six of her former colleagues have already completed the four-month training to become a driving license examiner. The goal is clear: waiting times should be gradually reduced so that getting a driving license will soon become less frustrating and, above all, more cost-effective.

Competition for exam dates

The tense conditions are also reflected in everyday life at driving schools. Michael Scheler, a driving instructor from Wolmirstedt, describes the situation as a “moderate catastrophe” and cites the shortage of skilled workers as one of the main reasons for the short supply of test dates. At his driving school, a secretary uses every opportunity available to find new appointments. Without such support, driving instructors have to look for appointments parallel to their lessons, which significantly disrupts their concentration on the students. The old principle of “first come, first served” applies here, which leads to a hoarding of appointments and increases the pressure on driving schools.

But the problems with long waiting times are not just a regional phenomenon. Other European countries are also struggling with similar difficulties. In the UK, waiting times for theory exams have increased dramatically - from 42 to 126 days. In Sweden it is 90 days, and countries such as the Netherlands and Norway also report significant extensions. The reasons for the delays are complex: lockdown backlogs, capacity bottlenecks and an increased number of sick people, to name just a few.

Federal government acts

The federal government is aware of the problem and provides information about the differences in waiting times in different regions. For this purpose, a federal-state working group was formed, which is supposed to develop key points for a reform of the technical testing centers (TÜV, DEKRA) by the beginning of 2023. The training of driving examiners is also on the agenda. This initiative, coupled with the new measures in Saxony-Anhalt, could help improve the situation for everyone involved. Minister Lydia Hüskens has already made it clear that sufficient testing capacity is necessary to both reduce waiting times and lower the costs of obtaining a driving license.

For many in Saxony-Anhalt, the opportunity to obtain a driving license more quickly has come at just the right time. Let's hope that the traffic jams will soon be a thing of the past and all those who are afraid of the driving examiner can finally drive to the signature greaser without having to wait for months.

For more information read the articles from star, MDR and Bundestag.