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Drivers Examiners put the brakes on driving tests

Jan 11, 2019 | 8:03 PM

MEDICINE HAT — If you are looking at booking a drivers exam in the next couple of weeks, your chances could be hit-or-miss, depending on where you go.

On Thursday, many Drivers Examiners took job action in protest of the government’s compensation for examiners when they become government employees starting on March 1.

The Certified Drivers Examiners Association is also planning to take legal action against the government, which includes a lawsuit.

The walkout is planned to last two weeks. As of Friday morning, wait times to get a drivers exam were between eight to twelve days in Medicine Hat.

“We did not want to inconvenience the general public at all. So if somebody had previous appointments already booked, they would be filled,” said Holly Kalmring, Director of Finance for the CDEA.

In a statement from the Office of the Transportation Minister, Brian Mason, it was said that “any disruptions in service are isolated and minimal.”

On Thursday, CDEA Executive director Pete Llewellyn said that he believed about 70-80 per cent of the 146 examiners in Alberta would participate in the walkout.

But as of 3:00 p.m. Friday, Alberta Transportation was aware of six driver examiners that have declined to offer service.

The Office of the Minister also believes that this is the best way to achieve their goals of a road test that is “fair, consistent, reliable and trustworthy.”