Consumers Coalition representatives Alberto Bute, Claire Elshot and Raymond Jessurun. (File photo)
PHILIPSBURG--St. Maarten Consumers Coalition has requested a second urgent meeting with the Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunications (TEATT) Inspectorate to discuss the digitising of the driver’s licence exams.
The second meeting was requested to discuss concerns tabled by driving instructors during a recent meeting with the Coalition.
“We have requested an urgent follow-up meeting with the Head of the Inspectorate of TEATT to address the information we have received and to [discuss – Ed.] an adequate introduction of the digitised theoretical examination system,” Coalition representative Raymond Jessurun said at a press conference on Thursday.
The Coalition met with driving instructors on Monday on the issue. “We shared with them the concerns of students who filed their complaints about the new driving licence examination. We also shared with them the meeting we had with the Inspectorate of TEATT and the Driver’s Licence Examination Department,” Jessurun said.
“The driving instructors in turn explained their experience with a meeting they had with the Driver’s Licence Examination Department. No minutes of those meetings were available and no memorandum of understanding was agreed upon with the driving instructors.
“They also shared experiences with the tests they did with the new examination system, and questioned the quality of the questions and answers of the system. They were very critical about the quality of the examination system. Even they, with all their instruction experience, failed the examination tests where, to pass, more than 25 points out of 30 points must be acquired.
“This system will cost students a lot of money – NAf. 400 for every examination they have to re-sit, which the driving instructors find is not fair in the economic situation their students face,” Jessurun said.
A number of driving instructors have since publicly called for postponement of the introduction of the digitised driving licence examination system.
Jessurun had said at an earlier press conference that the Coalition had been informed that the development phase of the digitised examination system had formally ended.
The Coalition had requested the first urgent meeting with the Inspectorate after it received a number of complaints from students who had to sit the exam.
The Coalition had a meeting with the TEATT Inspectorate on August 19. During that meeting the Inspectorate turned down the Consumers Coalition’s request to postpone the September 2 introduction of the digitised driving exam system. The Inspectorate made it clear at that time that the planned phasing out of the non-automated theoretical exam would enter into force as of September 2.
Although the request was turned down, the Inspectorate was willing to accommodate students who had signed up for an examination date to become familiarised with the new examination system. These students can make an appointment with the Driving License Examination Department to undergo a test examination.
During the August 19 meeting, TEATT Inspectorate head Lucien Wilson addressed complaints of some students that they had not received course material to prepare them for the new examination system. Wilson said course material is the responsibility of driving schools, not of government.
As a result of this, the Consumers Coalition requested and met with driving school instructors to discuss the preparation of students for the new driving licence examination system, course material and suggestions to improve the driving licence examination system.
Driving Licence Examination Department head Denicio Connor told the Coalition that the main objective was to move from a “subjective” examination system towards an “objective” one. The former system depended too much on the interpretation of the examiner, which gave too much subjectivity in judgement, the Coalition was told.
Also at the press conference were Coalition representatives Claire Elshot and Alberto Bute.
