Question 16675 — exams, competitions and diplomas

Summary

Mr. Abdelkader Lahmar draws the attention of the Minister of the Interior to the extension of the deadlines for obtaining a driving license test date. Since January 1, 2024, the lowering of the minimum driving license age to 17 years has led to a significant increase in the number of candidates for the practical test. This reform, which aims to promote young people's access to mobility and employment, was however not accompanied by a sufficient increase in the number of examination slots. In 2024, more than 290,000 17-year-olds will obtain their driving license, increasing pressure on a system already facing a lack of inspectors. In many departments, the delays in obtaining an exam date are now several months. After a failure, these delays are often even longer. The number of driving license inspectors does not allow to respond to all requests. These deadlines force many candidates to complete additional hours of driving in order to maintain a sufficient level before the exam. Billed between 40 and 60 euros, these overtime hours significantly increase the cost of the permit, which can sometimes exceed 3,000 euros. Certain driving schools certainly offer accelerated training in order to limit waiting times, but these are clearly more expensive than traditional training. These offers, the price of which can be two to three times higher, remain inaccessible to many candidates and accentuate the inequalities in access to a driving license. Waiting times delay access to employment, apprenticeship, studies or certain training for which a permit is essential. In many rural and peri-urban areas, they constitute a real barrier to mobility. These realities demonstrate that the 2024 reform was not anticipated. However, it was easy to predict the increase in the number of applicants for driving licenses due to the lowering of the age. The Government should have launched massive recruitment of inspectors before 2024 to absorb the influx of new candidates. Unfortunately, once again, the austerity stubbornness of governments successive ones resulted in recruitments well below needs. It is therefore urgent to change policy. He asks when measures will be taken to reduce waiting times for a driving license exam date, by increasing the number of exam places and strengthening the number of inspectors.

Machine translation from French. The official text remains authoritative.

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