Alberta removes advanced driving test from GDL drivers’ program
Posted Apr 2, 2023 11:53 am.
Last Updated Apr 2, 2023 11:59 am.
Advanced road tests are no longer needed to get a full Class 5 or Class 6 driver’s licence in Alberta.
Approximately 700,000 Albertans currently have Graduated Driver’s Licences (GDL) – and that number keeps growing.
Devin Dreeshen, the minister of transportation and economic corridors, says it’s because the $154 test has acted as a barrier.
“The advanced road test is a costly administrative hurdle that causes many drivers to simply not take that test,” Dreeshen said at a press conference outside Mount Royal University on Saturday.
“So the actual experience behind the wheel of being demerit and suspension free is a way better indication that a driver is actually ready for a full driver’s licence here in Alberta.”
Dreeshen says there will be some changes made to ensure safety on the roads with the removal of the test, including enhancing the basic road test and the GDL exit requirements.
Eligible GDL drivers who have no suspensions or demerits in the last year will be automatically upgraded to non-GDL drivers.
New drivers will have to wait two years before being considered.
