SGI says it is resuming road tests for people working in health care and agriculture. The Crown Corporation says it recognizes that health care providers are providing essential care and there is a need to be able to drive to work and to operate required vehicles. As well, agriculture has been deemed critical to ensure food production. In addition to those two groups, people who had a test cancelled due to the pandemic are also going to be able to resume road testing. Testing will restart on Monday.
Initially there will be a maximum of 140 road tests per week across the province divided among testing centres in Regina, Saskatoon, Prince Albert, Swift Current, North Battleford and Yorkton. Initially, the tests will only be available to people in health care and agriculture. As capacity allows, SGI will contact the approximately 45 hundred people outside of these two sectors to reschedule appointments that had been cancelled.
Testing capacity is expected to rise to 329 per week by early June and to expand to Meadow Lake, Humboldt, Weyburn, Kindersley, Lloydminster, Tisdale, Estevan and Moose Jaw.
Safety protocols
Physical distancing is not possible in a vehicle, so in order to keep both the applicant and examiner from being exposed, the examiner will follow behind the student in a trail vehicle, similar to how Class 1 and Class 3 road tests are being conducted.
Class 5 applicants* will be accompanied by a supervising driver who lives in the same household, so there will be no additional exposure risk for the applicant or the examiner.
The supervising driver is there as a safety precaution only, and is not permitted to assist the applicant in completing the test.
SGI will provide a dash camera to record the driver and the view out the windshield.
The driver examiner will follow the student in a separate vehicle. Driving instructions will be given by the examiner via handsfree cellphone. The applicant will be permitted to use a handsfree cellphone or Bluetooth to receive instructions during the test only. (New drivers are otherwise prohibited from using cellphones while driving).
The SGI examiner will mark the test based on what was recorded by the camera and what may have been observed during the examination, with results provided within one business day.
To determine if they meet the criteria to take a road test (i.e. they work in health care or agriculture), customers will need to apply using the application on SGI’s website, under the “Driver Testing” section.
Customers that qualify to take a road test will be notified by email and will have to submit a signed agreement and waiver, along with a waiver from their supervising driver, in the case of Class 5 applicants. (Those forms are also available here.) Customers will then book their road test with a scheduling clerk.
SGI suspended all road testing in mid-March to ensure physical distancing to keep customers and employees safe. Modified testing for commercial licences (Class 1 and 3 drivers) resumed on April 20, with similar safety protocols.
*Class 4 and 2 applicants who hold a valid Class 5 licence do not require a supervising driver.
