A SPECIAL task force has been set up to tackle the current backlog of driving test candidates at driving institutes (IM) nationwide, Transport Ministry Anthony Loke said.   

With an estimated 600,000 candidates undergoing driving courses and tests at such institutes annually,  Loke said the backlog was due to the closure of driving institutes 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 today. 

He said the task force is headed by the Road Transport Department (RTD) to find a way to tackle the backlog 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 could not do anything. 

“Most of the vehicles that entered the seventh year could not be used, which added to the burden on operators and is unfair,” he said. 

To encourage IM to invest in new vehicles, Loke said driving school vehicles are exempt from inspections for the first two 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 licences, Loke said RTD is drafting standard operating procedures to maintain the integrity and transparency of the test. 

He said the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission has previously expressed the view that if the test was allowed to be administered by IM, there could be laxity or information leakage. – Bernama, June 26, 2023.