The province of Almería has seen its backlog in practical driving license tests eased thanks to an Operational Reinforcement Plan by the DGT. This exceptional measure has mobilized resources to address the accumulated demand, exacerbated by medical leaves of examining officials.
The examining staff in Almería experienced a significant reduction early in the year due to the temporary absence of at least two officials who suffered work-related accidents while conducting tests. These incidents, despite being at low speeds, can cause injuries requiring months of recovery.
To mitigate the situation, the Provincial Traffic Headquarters arranged for a reinforcement examiner from the central services of the DGT during April and May. Subsequently, the province joined a specific pilot plan that took place over several Saturdays in May and June.
According to sources from the General Directorate of Traffic, examiners from Madrid, Granada, and Murcia voluntarily traveled to Almería to participate in this plan. Over two Saturdays, 630 students prepared for the class B practical test were examined. By May, despite staffing shortages, 7,818 class B license tests had been conducted in the province.
The plan involved meetings with driving school associations and Government delegates to organize the service and collect lists of students ready for examination. The results of the pilot plan showed a significantly lower number of participants than estimated by driving schools in provinces such as Navarra (275 out of over 6,000), Lleida (312 out of 5,000), Palma de Mallorca (407 out of 8,000), and Almería (630 out of 8,000).
In Almería, out of the 630 students who took the test, 70% (440) passed, making the province achieve the highest pass rate among the pilot tests. In Lleida, the pass rate was 46.15%, a figure lower than the provincial average of 51.71% in the first four months of the year.
The Operational Reinforcement Plan aims to eliminate bottlenecks and ensure that no prepared student is left without being examined. The DGT is evaluating the pilot experience with the goal of extending it to other provinces if necessary, aligning with actual demand.
Additionally, the DGT implements ongoing measures to optimize the examiner workforce, including annual recruitment drives, appointment of temporary staff, and transfer competitions, along with an increase of 130 positions in the RPT to reach a ratio of 21 examiners per million inhabitants.
