Backlog in road tests forces B.C. man to quit his job

A B.C. mansays he's been forced to quit his job because long delays in booking ICBC road tests makes it impossiblefor him todrive to work on his own.

Caleb Siemens, 19, currently livesin Salmon Arm, in B.C.'s Interiorbut is moving to the nearby community of Armstrong to live with his girlfriend after his mother sells the family home where he currently lives.

Right now, Siemenscommutes from Salmon Arm to his job as a carpenter in the outlying community ofLee Creek by getting a ride with a neighbourbut, with his upcoming move, he is no longer able to hitch a ride. Even though he owns a truck,Siemens isunable to drive without a fully licensed passenger ofat least 25 years of age alongside him until he takes his road test currently booked for November.

The passenger restriction is part of B.C.'s learner's licence program and can be lifted by passing an ICBC road test. Siemens says he is ready to take that step, but with the long wait to upgrade his licence he'sgiven his employer two weeks notice because he can't guarantee he can get to work.

"It's made it difficult to get my life in order,"Siemens told CBCDaybreak Southhost Chris Walker.

LISTEN | 19-year-old Caleb Siemens explains the frustrations of not being able to book an ICBC road test

Siemens is not alone. He posted his frustrations in a community Facebook group and discovered people are facing similar delays throughout the southern Interior, including Vernon, Kelowna andRevelstoke.

Some said they are booking tests in communities with more openings such asQuesnel and Smithers, which is a 12-hour drive from Salmon Arm.

"Not everyone has family and friends that are able to just drive them [that far]," Siemens said. "They're just on their own it makes it tough."

ICBC spokesperson Brent Shearer said the delaysare a result ofpandemic restrictions put into place last year, when road tests were cancelled for five months leading to a backlog of more than 50,000 people wanting to get their licence.

Shearer said that in response, ICBC has hired 80 new drivingexaminers across the province and expanded the hours in which tests can be booked in high-demand locations. The result, he said, was a 36 per cent increase in the number of tests being administered compared to 2019, the last pre-pandemic year.

"People are working non-stop," he said.

LISTEN | ICBC spokesperson Brent Shearer says the corporation is working hard to clear out the backlog of driver's test demands

ICBC is also asking people to only book tests when they are confident they can pass.

"Nearly half of customers taking a road test fail on their first attempt, which puts further pressure on availabilityif customers are having to take multiple tests,"said Shearer.

Shearer also said roughly 100 new appointments become available every day due to cancellations, and encouraged people who need a test more urgently to check the ICBC website frequently.

That's what Siemens is doing.He's set a daily alarm to log onto the website and see if he can get his test sometime before the Christmas season.

So far, he said, he's had no luck beating out everyone else eager for an appointment.

"It's a battle," he said.