Want to take driving lessons? It could be a slow go
Logistical challenges make it difficult for schools to schedule practical training
Young adults who want to get behind the wheel for the first time are having to learn patience, as several driving schools are unable to offer practical training for several months.
“When I called two weeks ago, they said there was no availability before the end of May,” said Simone Desrochers, 19, who wanted to get a driver's licence by the end of the summer. “With COVID, I said to myself it's the only freedom I could get.”
Faced with increasing delays, she admits it seems less and less likely."
She succeeded in getting appointments each of the past two weeks after someone cancelled theirs at the last minute.
Her next appointments should happen in June, unless there are more cancellations.
LOGISTICS PUZZLE
At the Tecnic driving school, the curfew and changes to health regulations have created a logistical challenge. As driving schools are no longer able to give as many classes in the evening, which are the most coveted by students and professors, the scheduling gymnastics become more complicated.
Mylène Sévigny, general manager of Tecnic, said she has recruited more than 200 employees throughout Quebec since the beginning of the pandemic. But the training of these new recruits has also been delayed because of the tighter schedules mandated by the curfew in several regions.
It takes between five weeks and three months to finish training new recruits, who supplement teams already in place and replace those ages 65 and over who must stop acting as driving instructors because of COVID -19 risk factors.
Outside Montreal and Quebec City, Sévigny said the delays for practical courses are “very acceptable” in most regions. She said someone just starting their courses could wait “on average two months, maximum three months” more than planned.
“It's starting the process that could take longer,” Sévigny said, explaining that someone could be on a waiting list, but once the first course is done, the rest is fluid.
She said the situation could change quickly if the vaccination campaign ramps up and health measures are loosened.
She said part of the increased demand she's observing — not only for driving, but motorcycle licences, too — is due to the fact that few activities are permitted during the pandemic, and driving allows young people a bit of freedom.
“There are also people who move farther north (of Montreal)," she said, which might explain why more people are looking to obtain their licence in areas around the city.
SAAQ EXAM
The Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec says delays for driving tests are now comparable to those before the pandemic.
Last June, they could be as long as a month, said spokesperson Mario Vaillancourt. Now, they're five to eight business days on average across Quebec.