'It's a huge bottleneck,' Road testing resumes but heavy backlog causes frustration
Collingwood, Ont. -
Driving examiners are back to work testing the skills of those hoping to get their driver's licence in Collingwood since road tests were paused in early April as Ontario went into a shutdown.
Many new drivers had to deal with appointment cancellations throughout the pandemic, causing the booking process to start over again, leading to a major backlog.
The province committed $16 million to address the backlog in road tests, including hiring 167 temporary driver examiners, increasing support staff and expanding hours of operation, including weekends.
The Collingwood testing centre currently operates two days a week.
"They are doing the best they can do, but with the backlog, it's a huge bottleneck," said Roman Ceballos, World Class Driving School. "I hope whoever is in charge of the system can fix the system."
Some have taken to travelling distances to find an available testing centre.
While testing has restarted, driving instruction remains on hold until the province enters Step 2 of its reopening plan, except for training for commercial drivers.
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