The Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC) will now be expanding appointments to include all knowledge tests but there is no date yet on when road tests will resume.
Customers can start booking knowledge tests on Thursday and the tests will resume on June 1.
The locations offering testing will be confirmed when booking an appointment.
“Due to anticipated demand, ICBC is encouraging customers to come prepared by studying the learning guides and taking the practice knowledge test several times to give them a greater chance of qualifying on the first attempt,” reads a statement from ICBC.
The public insurer says it is putting in “extensive effort” into a plan to safely resume road testing. ICBC is working with WorksafeBC on the use of appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE).
Attorney General David Eby says the challenge with road tests is the tester is in a vehicle with a stranger for up to nine hours a day. Eby says the province is working with WorkSafeBC on what personal protective equipment will be needed.
“If you are going to have someone sit in a vehicle with a stranger for up to 40 hours a week understandably they want to know how you are going to protect them,” Eby said.
Eby says the hope is to have an approved plan soon but the challenge is how quickly ICBC can get priority access to PPE.
The province was originally looking at a plexiglass barrier for a test vehicle but the issue is examiners often need to take over the wheel.
“Apparently in a fairly high number of exams the examiner has to reach over and take control of the vehicle in order to protect the driver and the public because the person is simply not able to have their own licence yet,” Eby said.
Comments