In compliance with precautionary measures announced under the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency declared by the B.C. government on 17 March 2020, West Coast Driver Training has not been offering Driving Lessons or any other training since Tuesday, 17 March 2020.
On 6 May 2020, B.C. Premier John Horgan and Dr. Bonnie Henry announced the Implementation of a 4 Phase Restart Plan for re-opening B.C. business and easing the requirements of the B.C. COVID-19 Public Health Emergency. Phase 2 of this Restart Plan goes into effect on 18 May 2020.
Driving Schools are in Phase 3 of the Restart Plan. Under the original Public Health announcements on 6 May 2020, Phase 3 of the B.C. Restart Plan was planned to go into effect 2 to 4 weeks after the start of Phase 2, which went into effect on 19 May 2020.
It is now 2 June 2020 and Phase 3 of the Restart Plan has not been implemented. We have tried to contact the Ministry of Health for information on when Phase 3 will go into effect but we have not been able to get that information.
We contacted ICBC today to see whether ICBC has any information on when Phase 3 of the Restart Plan may be implemented. ICBC told us it has no information about that.
Assuming the Restart Plan remains as originally announced on 6 May 2020 and Phase 3 is started 4 weeks after the start of Phase 2, that means that West Coast Driver Training may be able to start offering Driving Lessons again on Tuesday, 16 June 2020, (4 weeks after the start of Phase 2).
With that in mind we are now taking bookings for Driving Lessons for after 16 June 2020. If the start of Phase 3 of the Restart Plan is delayed until after 16 June 2020, we can reschedule any Driving Lessons booked for the period 16-30 June 2020.
This COVID-19 Public Health Emergency has been a trying time for all of us and we look forward to resuming Driving lessons for our present clients and with new clients as soon as Phase 3 of the present COVID-19 Public Health Emergency Restart Plan is implemented.
Here are Premier John Horgan and Dr. Bonnie Henry on 6 May 2020 announcing the B.C. Restart Plan:
For our clients asking about when ICBC will resume Road Tests or resume booking Road Tests, we have no new information from ICBC on that. Keep checking this ICBC page for information on ICBC Road Tests.
Here are some recent news reports about ICBC Road Tests:
- Vancouver Sun – 15 May 2020
- Global News – 28 May 2020
- CBC – 28 May 2020