A Comox Valley resident who is trying to obtain a class five driver’s licence continues to run into roadblocks because it seems there are no appointments available.
The Service BC website says to check back regularly as new appointments become available or for cancellations. However, Deavon Vandament works two jobs, which does not free up much time to check back.
“I do not think it should be this much of a hassle to book a simple appointment,” Vandament said. “If they are having time management issues then I think a solution would be to stay open later. I am annoyed because not being able to get a full licence is holding me back from career opportunities as well as being able to get further licences for say a class three.”
Vandament has had no luck with Courtenay and Campbell River Service BC centres, or with Nanaimo driver licensing. The first available test is in Victoria May 25. The next is in October.
Lindsay Wilkins of ICBC says the corporation is recruiting driver examiners to increase the number of available appointments for road testing on central to north Vancouver Island. To help with demand, examiners who have been added in Nanaimo can conduct road tests in surrounding communities.
ICBC has also hired 80 additional driver examiners. Many have been working overtime in impacted areas as
needed.
“We evaluate appointment availability frequently to help us efficiently allocate resources to these areas and the rest of the province,” Wilkins said. “We also continue to manage the demand from the temporary suspension of road testing last year due to the pandemic.”
The demand for class five and seven road tests has increased compared to previous years. Moreover, examiners cannot complete as many road tests each day due to COVID-19-related safety protocols, Wilkins added.
“We encourage customers to come to their appointment fully prepared for their road test. Nearly half of our customers taking their road test fail on their first attempt, which puts further pressure on our appointment availability as customers are taking multiple attempts.”
Wilkins added that 100 appointments are made available daily due to cancellations and resourcing availability. Most of these appointments are within the upcoming 10 days.
To help prepare for a road test, visit icbc.com.
