The Popular Party has denounced the lack of DGT examiners in the Antequera area, causing waiting lists of around a thousand people. The party is calling for more staff and a contingency plan that includes tests in the city.
The lack of examiners from the General Directorate of Traffic (DGT) in the Antequera area has created a backlog of nearly a thousand candidates waiting to take the practical driving test. This was reported on Wednesday by the Popular Party, which has called for the recruitment of new examiners and an emergency plan for the area.
80% of students unable to take the exam
As explained by the local PP secretary general, Juan Rosas, accompanied by the councillor for Security and Traffic, Antonio García Mendoza, and national deputy Mario Cortés, between 100 and 120 theoretical exams are conducted each month in the area, but only between 15% and 20% of those students manage to access the practical test. This has resulted in a waiting list that has been building up for over a year.
García Mendoza reminded that the Antequera City Council has already taken on improper responsibilities to maintain theoretical exams in the city, financing a computerised classroom to prevent candidates from having to travel to Málaga. However, the main obstacle remains the lack of examiners for practical tests.
“The situation is unsustainable for small driving schools, which are the most affected,” the councillor pointed out.
18,000 families affected in the province
National deputy Mario Cortés has quantified the problem: around 18,000 families in the province of Málaga and nearly 300,000 across Spain are affected by the shortage of examiners. Cortés noted that there are fewer staff than eight years ago, while demand has increased due to population growth and the reduction in the number of tests each examiner can conduct.
The popular parliamentarian also criticised the DGT PRO Plan, under which examiners from Madrid travel to Málaga on weekends to alleviate waiting lists. In his view, the system has failed because it concentrates all tests in the capital and does not take into account the planning of driving schools in the province.
“Displaced examiners should be able to conduct tests in Antequera as well, not just in Málaga capital,” Cortés demanded.
An initiative in Congress
In light of this situation, the Popular Party has registered an initiative in the Congress of Deputies to demand the recruitment of new examiner positions and a contingency plan agreed upon with the sector. The proposal includes allowing displaced examiners to conduct tests in cities like Antequera, rather than being limited to the capital.
For now, candidates from Antequera continue to wait their turn, while the driving schools in the area see their students piling up without being able to progress. The next opportunity to learn about developments will be during the parliamentary debate on the initiative.
For residents of Antequera and the surrounding area who need a driving licence, the recommendation is to plan ahead and consult their driving school for estimated timelines, which may exceed a year.
You may also like
