Nova Scotia speeding up driver’s licence applications by hiring 15 new examiners

HALIFAX, N.S. — Nova Scotia is making moves to speed up the process of obtaining a driver’s licence in the province.

The provincial government will spend roughly $2.3 million to hire a total of 15 driver examiners to work Access Nova Scotia centres on one-year terms — five of whom have already signed on.

With the increased capacity, the registry of motor vehicles will be able to conduct an additional 900 tests per week, thanks in part to expanding service hours and weekend testing.

The goal is to reduce driving test wait times, currently anywhere from six to 22 weeks, to as low as three weeks, which is far quicker than the 10-13 turnaround pre-COVID.

The province says the new employees will also reduce the number of appointments missed or not completed, about 10 per cent currently, thanks to less paperwork, more patient reminders being sent and improved translated materials.

“People need to go to work, get to appointments and visit with family and friends, and for many of us our quality of life depends on having a driver’s licence,” Public Works Minister Kim Masland said in a news release. “The current wait time is too long. Nova Scotians should be able to get a test for a licence when they need it.”