The Province of Alberta has announced that Class 4, 5, and 6 driver exams will be returning to a privatized model in the New Year in an attempt to alleviate long wait times.

Transportation Minister Ric McIver says when the UCP took office in April 2019, there were only 77 driver examiners trying to handle test requirements for more than 100,000 people every year, which is about half the number of examiners when Alberta had a private system.

McIver says when the NDP made the change to a provincial road test model, it created a disaster.

"The result was long wait times to get a road test in a system that did not have a solid foundation," he says. "People hardest hit were those wanting to get their Class 5 licence so they could drive a passenger vehicle."

McIver says getting a driver's licence is a right of passage for many people and also impacts employment opportunities. He says the government made it a priority to examine the entire system to see how it could be improved.

In September of last year, McIver pledged to hire more drivers to help tackle the road test backlog and there are currently 188 examiners in Alberta.

The decision to return to a private model, McIver says, is based on the feedback of the public and stakeholders like registry agents and the Alberta Motor Association. It will allow registry agents to directly hire or contract examiners who can work outside of traditional government hours.

“We know Albertans have been frustrated with long delays to get a road test," he says. "Returning to a privately run model will restore a system which Albertans used for years with confidence. More examiners will be available each day to offer more road test appointments which will, over time, reduce wait times for Albertans."

McIver says they hope to see the impact of returning to privatization within the first quarter of 2021, but that there is quite a backlog to get through since driver tests were paused from March 19 until June 30 thanks to COVID-19.

New protocols have also been put in place for driver tests and McIver says it takes about half an hour before each test to sanitize the vehicles, ensure examiners and drivers have proper personal protective equipment (PPE), and to go over test instructions.

Anyone wanting to book a road test within the new private system can do so starting December 1, 2020 for tests from January 5, 2021 and beyond.

Tests can be booked online HERE or directly through local registry agents.

Class 1 to 3 commercial truck and bus road tests will continue to be conducted by government examiners.