Waiting between three and six months to take the practical driving test: "There are evaluators we never see."

BarcelonaTaking the practical driving test can be an ordeal in Catalonia. There are more than 70,000 students on waiting lists, and these figures are on the rise. Although this number corresponds to students who have passed the theoretical exam and does not mean they are ready to take the practical exam, it is an indicator that the system is unable to absorb the current demand. "More students are entering than those who take and pass the exam," says Raül Viladrich, president of the Federation of Driving Schools of Catalonia (FAC).

This problem was raised last Wednesday in the Catalan Parliament, when Junts MP Josep Rius described the system for obtaining a driver's license in Catalonia as "unsustainable," because in areas such as Girona and Barcelona, the waiting time for the practical exam is over six months. In response, the Minister of the Interior of the Generalitat, Núria Parlon, announced the arrival of 25 new examiners in Catalonia as part of the expansion call made by the Directorate General of Traffic (DGT). Parlon argued that these additions should allow for "a more appropriate response to waiting lists" without affecting competencies.

Although the FAC welcomes the minister's recognition of the problem, they believe sending more staff to Catalonia is not the definitive solution: "On paper, everything fits, but it is not reflected in the number of active examiners," notes Viladrich. In this regard, he asserts that, of the 131 examiners in Catalonia, only 85 are currently conducting assessments. This imbalance is primarily due to staff sick leave and vacations.

The FAC president denounces that there are also cases of examiners who, once they secure a position in Catalonia, take a leave of absence and request a transfer to a location closer to their hometown. "We are aware of recent cases in Lleida and Girona of evaluators who have been on leave for months, and we only knew their names. Once they got a transfer, they left, and we haven't even seen their faces," he explains. For this reason, the Federation is calling for stable workforces. with people from the territory and that they don't leave. "Every transfer competition is a failure," laments Viladrich.

Sources from the DGT assure ARA that these cases are not common, but they acknowledge the problem of waiting lists and assure that they are working to place the examiners who win the position.

For this reason, Viladrich argues that increasing the number of places in Catalonia—which has been done until now—is not effective because, although an optimal number of examiners is provided on paper, some of the staff are not examining. The situation in the Catalan demarcations is as follows: in Lleida there are 6 active examiners out of the 10 with consolidated positions; in Girona, 7 out of 16; in Tarragona, 12 out of 15; and in Barcelona, 60 out of 91.

Discontent among driving schools and families

Viladrich states that most examiners should be activated to begin clearing the long queues. "Added to this is the fact that since 2017, examiners have been conducting twelve tests a day, instead of the sixteen they used to," he concludes.

A few days ago, a driving school instructor in Girona He reported that he had been assaulted by a father following an argument. The reason for the confrontation was that the attacker's daughter couldn't take the following week's driving test because there were no places available. According to Viladrich, this case went viral because it escalated into violence, but that's only the tip of the iceberg. He claims that driving school administrative staff have been overwhelmed for years because, due to the current DGT operating system, they take on more responsibilities and are the ones who must respond to students and their families when they can't cope with the demand.

Changes to the theory test

It's important to note that two significant changes will be made to the theoretical driving test templates in the coming months. The first is related to the new traffic signs that came into effect on July 1. This new content will be included in the theoretical test starting in October. The other is the inclusion of videos on risk perception. The DGT will soon begin publishing some examples. They will consist of a simulated scenario in which the student must identify the risk elements that appear while driving. This will be included in the theoretical exams—it will be one of the thirty questions—starting in January 2026, which will require all classrooms where the exams are given to be computerized.