After a more than four month hiatus, ICBC is set to resume non-commercial driving tests on July 20.
Attorney General David Eby told Jill Bennett on the Jill Bennett show that the public insurer will start contacting licence hopefuls this week to re-book. The priority will go to those who had a test cancelled in March.
ICBC has cancelled more than 55,000 tests due to the pandemic.
“We have enough PPE now to do those tests we have been waiting on,” Eby said.
“We are going to need additional examiners and additional locations to get through the backlog.”
On average the province conducts about 20,000 tests a month. Eby says ICBC will be operating at about 85 per cent of normal due to the new measures in place.
These new measures mean drivers will be required to wear a provided medical grade mask. The examiners will be wearing a mask, goggles or face shield and gloves.
“My advice to drivers is be ready for your tests,” Eby said.
“If you fail that test you will have a significant wait. It will take some time for ICBC’s measures to clear the backlog. The best strategy for any driver is to be prepared for that test and pass it.”
The province will be resuming motorcycle testing this week. ICBC will be set to launch an online scheduling centre and call centre on July 20 to coordinate the testing schedules for all road tests.
ICBC resumed commercial tests on June 15.
Priority testing will be available for essential health care workers and first responders who require a licence for work.
Following re-booking tests cancelled in March, ICBC will then be prioritizing the re-booking of customers who had road tests cancelled after March 30. It is expected that these customers will be able to re-book through the month of August.
Steve Wallace from Wallace Driving School says drivers with tests cancelled in April should be able to do their exam before those with cancelled tests from May, June or July.
“It is only fair that if you booked a time in April that in fact you do not have to get to the back of the queue,” Wallace said.
Wallace and other driving school owners and instructors have told the province they could also administer the test in order to clear a possible backlog.
ICBC is expecting high call volumes and are asking for customer patience.
Customers whose appointment was cancelled between March 17 and March 30 will not need to call. For all other customers, they are strongly encouraged to book online if the option is available for their test type.
Customers are asked to arrive on-time with the required identification. They will be asked a series of health screening questions and provided a mask that must be worn for the duration of the road test.
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