One in three Bay applicants pass driver’s licence tests

Only an astounding one in three applicants pass their driver’s licence test in Nelson Mandela Bay and traffic and safety authorities are determined to find out who’s to blame – instructors or examiners.

This measly figure has prompted a multi-pronged investigation, an initial part of which indicates that it’s a combination of incompetent driving instruction and high fail rates by certain examiners.

Alarming statistics were unveiled by the municipality’s safety and security portfolio committee this week, with an initial probe already showing that sub-standard driving schools and instruction were to blame.

However, driving schools themselves have said there are too many fly-by-night, unregistered operators with unqualified instructors and have called on the government to set up a regulatory body.

Figures show that in February, only 273 out of 787 applicants passed while 59 did not pitch for the test. In January, only 212 out of 663 passed with 55 no-shows.

Last year, out of a total of 9 848 applicants across all vehicle class codes, only 3 335 passed, while a whopping 5 456 failed. Those who didn’t pitch up numbered 1 099.

Safety and security political head John Best wants to go after driving schools responsible for failures, but traffic and licensing director Warren Prins said the municipality was also to blame.

Prins said while the pass rates for learner’s licences were good, those with a learner’s licence would tend to fail their driver’s licence test.

Prins said his initial investigations had shown the poor pass rates were a combination of “either we fail the people, or it is an aspect of training”.

“What I also picked up is that driving schools don’t teach certain clients certain aspects where they lose a lot of points.”

He said at present there was no registry for driving schools, with an amendment being discussed in parliament.

Prins said he would be setting up meetings with driving schools.

He said the engagements would include the SA Municipal Workers Union (Samwu) and the Independent Municipal Allied and Trade Union as he had plans to closely monitor examiners.

“I am also in the process of evaluating my examiners to see if they really do apply the interpretation of the manual correctly to see how we can increase the pass rate,” he said.

“I am going to draw reports from all my examiners and will have a schedule to indicate how many driver’s tests an examiner had, how many people failed, and how many passed.

“Through the tests I will be able to determine where the problem is – is it with the examiners or with the applicants?”

Samwu spokesman Mqondisi Nodongwe said the union could not interfere as the matter was not labour-related.

“We cannot be engaged on the rate of failure. We don’t have any jurisdiction on this matter because it involves residents who are not protected by labour law.
“Whoever at the municipality believes the rate of failure can be attributed to examiners is lying – this is a political matter,” he said.

Nodongwe questioned why the city was pursuing the matter now.

“The manual has been in place for many years – the question to ask here is why now?”

A test costs R294 for Code 08 and R343 for Code 10.

Eastern Cape Driving School owner Chantel Engelbrecht said the main reason for failures was that some driving school instructors were themselves not qualified to teach driving.

“People are always quick to judge and say it’s the traffic department but I don’t think that is the case.

“There are hundreds of driving schools. People just buy a car and think they can start a business and charge what they want. They don’t show up for lessons and that puts a lot of pressure on the client because it takes money to book the lessons and the test,” Engelbrecht said.

“The test officials have been doing it for many years and they know what to look out for. When a client comes there without a clue of what they are doing, you can’t expect the traffic officer to pass them.”

Two Way Driving School manager Jaen-Mari Avis, in Uitenhage, said the problem was exacerbated by the number of unregistered driving schools in the Bay.

“There are a lot of people who use driving schools that are not registered as a business and you also find that the instructor doesn’t have a certificate,” Avis said.

“When people go to them they buy packages and get 30 or 40 lessons with those people. By the time they do come to a registered driving school we notice a lot of things they weren’t taught – but they no longer have any money [to fix it].”

Avis said the government needed to set a standard number of lessons and number of hours logged before a client could book a test, while also regulating driving schools.

Lessons for driving schools in the metro range between R160 and R180 per hour for Code 08, and up to R220 for Code 10.

Automobile Association spokesman Layton Beard said it was difficult to say if driving instructors or driving schools were to blame.

“We also have to look at whether or not the people who are being taught are learning properly. The learner and the guardian need to understand exactly what is expected from them when they test,” he said.

Beard said applicants should do research on the test and if they failed, they should ask what the reason for the failure was.

Kamva Maseti, 25, of New Brighton, is mystified as to why she failed her test, which she thought she had nailed until the examiner failed her on her parking.

“I cannot pinpoint what I had done wrong with my parking as I was so sure about it,” she said.