Learners might lose their permits while road tests are on hold, a driving instructor warns

VICTORIA (NEWS 1130) – People who hold learners’ licences could lose their ability to continue driving since all road tests in B.C. are being put on hold due to the COVID-19 crisis.

Learners have two years to earn their Class 5. They can go for their road test after their first year, and after two years, the learner’s permit expires.

While most people go for a road test as soon as possible, there will be learners who will be affected by the suspension of road tests, says Steve Wallace of the Wallace Driving School in Victoria.

“You have to have sympathy for someone who had planned to take their test. Their license is about to expire and they had done their due diligence in getting a test time prior to that expiry date. I would expect that ICBC will have some compassion for them and may very well extend the learners licenses.”

What’s more concerning for Wallace is the backlog of tests that the system will need to address once things return to normal. His school alone has seen 50 tests cancelled in the span of three weeks, and he points out there are 700 driving schools in the province.

“My job is going to be to clear that backlog with ICBC’s acquiescence and help as soon as I can and service those clients who’ve had the bad luck to have their tests cancelled.”

He believes a lot of driving schools won’t survive the health crisis.

“I think the people who’ve been in business for a long time and are well-capitalized will do well.” Wallace himself has been in the business for 44 years and has schools in various locations on Vancouver Island.

He has 14 instructors who will all be applying for Employment Insurance (EI) or other federal benefit programs.

Wallace has been around long enough to remember when ICBC had gone through similar rough times, like the labour strike in 2012.

“They do have the experience of doing that and I know they’re working on some mitigating things to make sure that people get served, but I can tell you the last communication I got from them did not say an end date.”

ICBC has not announced a date for tests to resume.

Wallace is confident he can weather a three or four month shutdown. He thinks newer schools and franchises will lose employees, whereas he has a team that is loyal to him, he says. “I’m going to make it through like I always have.”

But the veteran of the industry is still shaken.

“We’ve never seen anything like this.”