Ontario to open temporary drive test centres to clear backlog caused by COVID-19
Ontario is opening temporary road test centres to help address a large testing backlog that built up due to pandemic lockdowns.
The province said the centres would open in areas where demand is highest to help more new drivers get their G2 and G licences.
The province resumed in-car driving tests on June 14, but the backlog has left many new drivers struggling to find a test slot. Some have said the first available slots are often months in the future.
The Ministry of Transportation said Wednesday that there is currently a backlog of approximately 700,000 road tests in Ontario.
Transportation Minister Caroline Mulroney said the province is taking action to clear the backlog so that new drivers who need a test "can get one as soon as possible."
"As Ontario continues to head in the right direction in the fight against COVID-19, we have an aggressive plan in place to hire additional temporary driver examiners, open additional centres to offer road testing, and extend weekday operating hours for passenger road testing, including weekends," she said in a statement.
The ministry plans to hire 167 temporary driver examiners to address the backlog, adding to the 84 examiners who were hired in the fall of 2020.
Temporary road test centres will open in Guelph and Oshawa on Monday, while others will open in Toronto, Hamilton/Niagara, Mississauga/Brampton, and York/Durham in September, the province said.
Masks, hand sanitizer and screening questions will be mandatory for tests, vehicle windows must be open to allow airflow and drivers could be required to provide their phone number if contact tracing is needed.
The province said all staff will wear personal protective equipment and examiners would have face shields, sanitizers and seat covers.
The Ministry of Transportation said last month that 421,827 road tests have been cancelled since March 2020 due to pandemic-related lockdowns.
Drivers who had their road tests cancelled due to the pandemic are expected to receive a credit to rebook their exams, the province said.
Starting Monday, the two temporary centres in Guelph and Oshawa will exclusively offer G2 and G road tests daily from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
The Oshawa site will be open seven days a week while the one in Guelph will only take appointments Monday to Friday and expand operations to seven days a week in November, the province said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 4, 2021.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'He's in our hearts': Family and friends still seek answers one year after Nathan Wise’s disappearance
It’s been a year since Nathan Wise went missing and his family is no closer to finding out what happened to him.
'My family doctor just fired me': Ontario patients frustrated with de-rostering
Dozens of Ontarians are expressing frustration in the province’s health-care system after their family doctors either dropped them as patients or threatened to after they sought urgent care elsewhere.
Ottawa pizzeria places among top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world at international competition
An Ottawa pizzeria is being recognized as one of the top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world.
Canada Post cracks down on Nunavut loophole to get free Amazon Prime shipping
Amazon's paid subscription service provides free delivery for online shopping across Canada except for remote locations, the company said in an email. While customers in Iqaluit qualify for the offer, all other communities in Nunavut are excluded.
Edibles, armchairs and adapters: Here are the recalls for this week
Health Canada announced various product recalls this week, including electric adapters, armchairs, cannabis edibles and vehicle components.
Putin replaces Russian defence minister in rare cabinet shakeup
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin began a Cabinet shakeup on Sunday, proposing the replacement of Sergei Shoigu as defence minister as he begins his fifth term in office.
Suspect sought after fatal slashing in downtown Toronto
Police are searching for a suspect in a homicide investigation after a man was slashed in downtown Toronto on Sunday.
Wildfire near Fort McMurray more than triples overnight, several evacuation alerts remain in place
The fire burning near Fort McMurray grew from 25 hectares to 5,500 hectares over the weekend.
WATCH Dashcam video shows terrifying near-miss on two-lane northern Ontario highway
There were some scary moments for several people on a northern Ontario highway caught on video Thursday after a chain reaction following a truck fire.