Lower Mainland driving instructors dealing with major backlog in road tests

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) — If you’re looking to schedule a driving test in the Lower Mainland, you’re probably going to have to wait several months to get on the road.

Driving instructors like Tito Valdez say demand for road tests is way up during the pandemic.

“People are really eager to get their license right away,” he says. “Plus they don’t want to take the public transit.”

Lenny Galsim — a health care worker in Vancouver agrees with Valdez. She says driving her own car would be a much safer option than taking public transit.

“I work in community service. And I’m going home to home. That’s why I want to drive instead of taking a bus,” she explains.

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ICBC says the backlog is mostly due to the five months that road testing centres were closed last year.

It says 80 more staff have been hired on, and 10 new centres have been opened since then.

ICBC has also requested that essential workers who may want to avoid transit during the pandemic move to the front of the line for exams.