Increase in driving examiners following reports of delays

In the coming weeks, Transport Malta will be increasing its complement of driving examiners to further improve operation time frames and to better cope with the ever-increasing demand, a spokesperson for the transport agency has told this newspaper.

With a recent NSO publication noting that an average of 82 vehicles are being newly licensed per day, it goes without saying that there would also be an increase in requests for individuals to undergo their practical driving tests and an increase in the renewal of licenses.

The spokesperson noted that the summer season is peak season for driving tests, and that “during this period it is normal for students to wait between four and five weeks before sitting for the test after submitting their application.”

“The unit, through a number of changes in the processes employed, has recently managed to marginally improve the waiting times of its clients,” they said, going on to point out that Transport Malta has also very recently upgraded its processes to serve its driving licence renewals clients faster.

“At the time of writing, the unit is processing applications submitted one week ago.”

With the population of the country increasing to almost half a million by the end of 2018, the largest population increase in the EU (3.7%), and net migration standing at 17,102, Malta has seen a number of government departments straining under the sheer increase in the number of applications which are required to be processed for one thing or another.

Identity Malta being perhaps the most prominent, with stories having been published showing people queuing outside their offices from the early hours of the morning to no avail.

This newspaper had also been informed that a number of people who have applied to have their licence renewed (70+) have been waiting for a number of weeks, information that was confirmed by the spokesperson upon query.

It was, however, pointed out that in the case of licence renewal for drivers over the age of 70, the process is a bit longer since the application has to be vetted by Transport Malta’s medical team.

“The medical vetting to evaluate whether a driver is still fit to keep his or her license adds a few days to the procedure.”

Incomplete applications also derail the process, with one or more documents missing from the submitted applications in a number of cases being enough to delay any renewals or applications.

“In these instances, the authority reverts to the client and waits for a complete submission.”

“TM is also addressing this issue by making further information about the necessary documentation, more widely and easily available.”