The General Directorate of Traffic has proposed to the driving schools of Lleida to hold practical driving exams on Saturdays starting from the second fortnight of May with the objective of reducing the current waiting list. The pilot plan will affect exclusively the territory of Lleida and will be launched together with a similar initiative in Navarra to try to alleviate the situation experienced by 5,000 people waiting to obtain their driving license.
During a meeting held with the Associació d'Autoescoles de Lleida, the government's deputy delegate, José Crespín, and the provincial head of the Traffic Department, M. José Soler, presented the main points of this extraordinary measure. The strategy includes the incorporation of itinerant examiners to increase the capacity to conduct tests, although it will be limited solely to class B licenses intended for passenger vehicles. Driving schools will have to provide a detailed list of students who are prepared to pass the driving test.
"we are facing a shock plan that requires a joint effort both by the DGT and by the driving schools to organize this operation from the second fortnight of May" - José Crespín, Deputy Government Delegate
The response from the training sector has not been long in coming. The Associació d'Autoescoles de Lleida already described the situation as unsustainable in mid-April, pointing out that waiting times can be close to four months. Although it acknowledged the institutional will to improve the situation, the entity considered that the measure is insufficient if it is not accompanied by structural reforms that address the underlying problem. Furthermore, they severely criticized the communication of the news for having an absolutely insufficient margin to adapt to the new schedules.
One of the most controversial points revolves around the territorial application of the extra exams. The representatives of the driving schools denounced that the proposal constitutes a mockery by being restricted to the Lerida capital. This limitation leaves out students from other regions that also suffer significant delays, as indicated by the group
- La Seu
- Solsona
- Vielha
- Puigcerdà
Official data reflect the pressure on the system. In the first quarter of this year, 3,299 tests were carried out, which represents a decrease of 1.02% compared to the same period in 2025. This slight reduction in the number of tests carried out has not managed to lower the accumulation of applications, maintaining the urgency of solutions that allow progress in the management of driving licenses.