STUDENT drivers in Shenzhen will soon be able to make reservations online to take the driving test by themselves, instead of through driving schools, which have come under fire for delaying students from taking the test, in some cases for years, unless they paid extra fees.

    A new reservation system will be put into operation March 30, enabling student drivers to directly make reservations online.

    The system will give priority to individual applicants whose driving test certificates are nearing their expiration date. It is also reportedly aimed at solving irregularities at driving schools, which allegedly arrange the wait time for tests based on who pays more money for their tiered training system.

    “We are using the new network system to replace driving schools arranging driving tests and letting student drivers apply for exams themselves,” said Cai Changsheng from the examination section of the city’s police vehicle administration station.

    Due to the limited amount of testing venues, student drivers must wait after completing their theory tests. Some students have had to wait for up to three years to take the driving test.

    Taking advantage of the driving test’s difficulty, some driving schools opened so-called fast classes, for which they charge higher fees, arranging driving tests for those who pay more earlier than for regular students.

    The online reservation system, which will open at 9 a.m. March 30, is supposed to arrange applicants based on the order of how long they’ve waited and the expiration date of their driving test certificates. If an applicant fails to make his/her reservation, the system will automatically make another reservation until the applicant successfully reserves a time for the driving test online.

    However, the test venues can only deal with 100,000 student drivers a year.

    Shenzhen Consumer Council received a total of 1,422 complaints in 2014, a 223-percent increase over 2013. The limited testing venues, which caused student drivers to wait for a long time, had been the main cause of the complaints. To attract student drivers, some driving schools promised students they would get licenses within two to three years. But they failed to keep their promises because many people are still waiting to take a test.

    At the moment, around 560,000 student drivers are on the waiting list for the examination. (Han Ximin)