Ministry to study cost of e-testing first
JOHOR BARU: The Transport Ministry will study the cost of implementing e- testing – a computer-based driving and learning evaluation system – before it is implemented nationwide next year.
Minister Anthony Loke said this was important as the ministry did not want the new system to be a financial burden to the 220 driving schools nationwide and its students.
“The cost for having the e-testing system in place amounts to hundreds of thousands.
“Currently, three driving schools here are using it during the testing period from September to November,” he said during the e-testing system briefing at the Berjaya Driving Institute in Taman Perling here yesterday.
However, he declined to reveal the exact cost of having the system installed at driving schools nationwide.
With e-testing, the examiner would be evaluating the learner drivers’ skills from a control room via multiple cameras on the circuit, thus minimising human intervention.
Loke, who is Seremban MP, said the e-testing system would be more transparent as it would eliminate the opportunity of bribery between the student and the Road Transport Department.
He said the system would also be used for driving tests for other vehicles, especially commercial vehicles such as lorries, trailers and buses.
“I am satisfied with the level of e-testing readiness. It is a more transparent system for the learner drivers as there is no element of lesen kopi,” he said.
Loke pointed out that the present ceiling price for the conventional driving test is RM1,150 for a manual car driving licence and RM1,250 for an automatic car driving licence.
“Nonetheless, there are some driving institutes that offer packages that are more expensive with a guarantee that students will pass their test,” he said.