Examiners to work on Friday, thus permitting 4000 more road tests per month.
By RON FRIEDMANYom Hazikaron cars(photo credit: Ariel Jerozolimski)
The Transportation Ministry announced on Tuesday that the waiting time for road tests will decrease as examiners begin to work on Fridays - good news for people getting their driver's license.
The Finance Ministry, after much pressure from the Transportation Ministry, is allocating extra funding so that the driving examiners who administer the driving tests can work on Fridays. "Conducting tests on Fridays will enable four thousand additional road tests to take place every month," said ministry spokesman Avner Ovadiah.
Ovadiah explained that "The recent personnel cuts ordered by the government forced us to freeze the hiring of new examiners who were meant to replace those retiring."
Avi Gal, chairman of the Driving Instructors Association elaborated, saying the system was currently short fifteen examiners, which has led to waiting periods of over three months in some regions.
The decision to request extra funding arose from complaints by driving instructors and pressure from students.
"Students complain about long waiting periods, they don't understand that we work within the framework that the ministry gives us. If things don't improve, we may begin referring students directly to the Transportation Ministry," said Ido Shimshon, Deputy Chairman of the Driving Instructors Association.
"This is, at best, a short-term solution to a much larger problem," said Shimshon. "I think that even with the extended hours, the waiting period will remain upwards of a month and a half."
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