The number of driving schools in the Netherlands has fallen significantly in a year. This is a decrease of more than five percent. The corona crisis undoubtedly plays a major role in this.
It was a tough year for driving schools in 2020 and 2021 also got off to a bad start due to the lockdown. We see this reflected in the number of driving schools in the Netherlands, because Driving school pro reports that 430 driving schools have closed down by 2020, followed by nearly 70 more this year. That amounts to more than five percent of the total, which was previously a mere 9,000.
Based on figures from the Chamber of Commerce, the trade magazine reports that many driving schools immediately stopped in the first lockdown and that this trend is continuing in the current continuous lockdown. This year it would already be 68 driving schools. Five driving schools went bankrupt in the past year, the rest simply pulled the plug themselves. In absolute numbers it went fastest in South Holland; 121 driving schools stopped there. The percentage of driving schools that stopped was highest in Zeeland, because eight of the only 130 driving schools stopped there, so 16 percent. However, there were also 6 more. Driving lessons may now take place again and exams are also possible at the CBR.
The Federation Driving School Management warned at the end of 2020 through Ruud Rutten that an enormous loss for driving schools was expected. Rutten, himself a driving school owner in Venlo, said he had already suffered € 150,000 in damage at that time.