Long wait times worry driver examiners in Alberta

CALGARY (660 NEWS) – Drivers who are anxious to take their Alberta road tests are now waiting much, much longer.

That’s according to the Certified Drivers Examination Association following the government takeover of the road test system.

Last October, Transportation Minister Brian Mason announced government employees would issue road tests as of March 1.

READ MORE: Alberta ends 25-year program of privatized driver road tests

Since the change occurred, wait times for drivers tests have jumped to three weeks, compared a wait of a day or two before.

Pete Llewellyn with the Drivers Examiners Association says that’s likely to do with the huge decrease in examiners.

“Prior to the repatriation, there was about 142 examiners. Only 60 either applied or were accepted by the government. The vast majority of examiners did not apply for the jobs.”

He goes on to say that he’s still perplexed at many things that have happened since the move took place.

“To me, they threw us under the bus. The very thing that he (Mason) said that they wanted them to be more professional, more this, more that. There were questions about the examiners that were already in the system according to the minister. He turns around and rehires a whole bunch of them. If they were that bad, why were the rehired?”

READ MORE: Drivers examiners threaten job action over proper compensation 

Alberta NDP leader Rachel Notley addressed the issue while speaking in Edmonton on Monday. She says that the current model is the right one and that they will fix any unintended delays after the election.

The Drivers Examiners Association is calling for a full independent review of the road test system.