Waiting for the driver's license: More examiners should solve the problem!

Waiting for the driver's license: More examiners should solve the problem!

in Saxony-Anhalt is currently working on a solution for the pressing problem of long waiting times on driving tests. The bottleneck with the driving auditors has left many prospective drivers: left frustrated on the inside. Especially young people, such as Viet Anh nguyen who are sorry for waiting, have so far been often there without the examination dates. The chairman of the driving instructor association Saxony-Anhalt, Reiner Nuthmann, describes the situation as problematic. In the past, many examination dates found their place with little effort, 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 assigned within seconds, which leads to a standstill in the driving schools.

In the meantime, Mario Schwarz, the head of the technical test center in Saxony-Anhalt, has launched a promising solution. He announced that experienced driving instructors should be given the opportunity to further qualify to the driving tester. This is intended to help fix the problem of the insufficient examiners. An exemption now allows it to take the exam without the engineering. So far, a former driving instructor and six of her former colleagues have already completed the four -month training as a driver's license auditor. The goal is clear: the waiting times should be gradually dismantled so that the driver's license will soon become less frustrating and, above all, cheaper.

competition for examination dates

The tense conditions also show up in everyday life of driving schools. Michael Scheler, a driving instructor from Wolmirstedt, describes the situation as "moderate disaster" and names the shortage of skilled workers as one of the main reasons for the narrow range of examination dates. In his driving school, a secretary uses all the options offered to find new appointments. Without such support, driving instructors have to look for appointments in parallel to their lessons, which disturbs the concentration on the students considerably. The old principle "Whoever comes first" applies here, which leads to a hoarding of appointments and further increases the pressure on the driving schools.

But the problems with the long waiting times are not just a regional phenomenon. Other European countries also fight with similar difficulties. In the UK, waiting times for theoretical exams have increased drastically - from 42 to 126 days. It is 90 days in Sweden, and countries such as the Netherlands and Norway also report significant extensions to the deadline. The reasons for the delays are complex: Lockdown residues, capacity bottlenecks and an increased health volume to name just a few.

federal government is

The federal government is aware of the problem and informs about the differences in waiting times in different regions. For this purpose, a federal-state working group found its way, which should develop cornerstones for a reform of the technical test points (TÜV, DEKRA) by the beginning of 2023. The training of driving auditors is also on the agenda. This initiative, paired 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 test capacities are necessary to reduce both the waiting times and reduce the costs of driving license.

For many in Saxony-Anhalt, the possibility of faster driving license is just at the right time. Let us hope that the traffic jam will soon be a thing of the past and that all those who tremble in front of the driving tester can finally drive to the signature without having to wait months.

For more information, read the articles from Stern , mdr and Bundestag .