The backlog at the CBR, largely due to the corona crisis, must be made up quickly. That is why the CBR is aiming for a higher pass rate, otherwise the minimum age for the practical exam will be raised.
It has long been a crisis at the Central Bureau for Driving Licenses. The CBR was already struggling with long waiting times and that has become increasingly worse due to the corona crisis and accompanying measures. That is why the CBR has come up with some ‘measures’ to allow for some 300,000 practical exams and roughly the same number of theoretical exams, it reports. AD. Otherwise, there is a fear of waiting times for practical exams that can be as much as 18 weeks.
The most important measure is not actually a measure, but a tightened standard. Now the success rate of Dutch driving schools is on average just above 50 percent. Much too low, according to the CBR, because this means that many candidates come back several times. The CBR wants driving schools to improve their level and only allow students to take an exam if there is a good chance of success. No more sending on an exam ‘just to try it out’, so. The CBR wants to boost the success rate to 60 percent. CBR director Alexander Pechtold states: “With every percentage point more, 8,000 exam spots become available for new candidates. If we reach 60 percent, that will result in 80,000 extra exam spots.”
Of course this is difficult if not impossible to control, because the responsibility lies entirely with the driving school holders. That is why the CBR keeps a finger on the pulse with regard to the success rate and is ready with measures to intervene if the percentage does not rise sufficiently. At the end of May, the CBR will look at the average pass rate and it must have risen 4 percent or more, otherwise the CBR will increase the minimum age for a practical exam from 17 to 18 years. Interim tests and fear of failure exams will then also no longer be scheduled to free up space.
The CBR also actively recruits new examiners, asks current staff to work overtime and retired examiners are temporarily back. In addition, investments have been made in making classrooms for theory exams ‘corona proof’, which are still at a standstill. The CBR is waiting for a signal from the government that they can continue, because the backlog with theory exams is now increasing by 15,000 every week. If those exams can take place again, the CBR expects to be able to clear up the current backlog this year.