Special task force set up to overcome backlog of driving test candidates

PUTRAJAYA - A special task force has been set up to overcome the backlog of driving test candidates at driving institutes (IM) nationwide at the moment, said Transport Ministry Anthony Loke.

With an estimated 600,000 candidates recorded undergoing driving courses and tests at such institutes annually, Loke said the backlog is due to the closure of driving institutes in the country following the Covid-19 pandemic.

"The big backlog does not mean they could not obtain their driving licence but the waiting time is long,” he told reporters after opening the 3rd annual general meeting of the Association of Driving Training Centres Operators in Malaysia here today.

He said the task force is headed by Road Transport Department (RTD) to find a way to overcome the backlog of driving test candidates as well as expedite the process of obtaining the licence.

Loke also announced the government’s initiative to assist IM operators to extend the age limit of vehicles used at institutes from seven years to 10 years.

"We take one thing into consideration to help IM industry players because it is well known that during Covid-19 they cannot do anything.

"Most of the vehicles that enter the seventh year could not be used which added to the burden on operators and is unfair," he said RTD will integrate the matter into the system as soon as possible.

To encourage IM to invest in new vehicles, Loke said vehicle inspections are exempted for the first and second years.

"For the following years up to the 10th year, the mandatory periodic inspection is once a year," he said.

Regarding the proposal to allow IM to conduct the computerised KPP01 test to obtain a licence, Loke said RTD is drafting a standard operating procedure (SOP) to maintain the integrity and transparency of the test.

According to him, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has previously expressed its view that if the test is allowed to be administered by IM, it is feared that there may be laxity or information leakage. - BERNAMA