Earlier today one of my clients, Sierra Robinson, did her Class 7 N Road Test in our 2020 Prius Prime. She did really well on her Road Test and passed handily.
But as we were waiting at ServiceBC in Duncan just prior to her Road Test, Sierra told me that the stress of waiting to do her Class 7 Road Test was similar to the stress she felt before doing her TED Talk.
I didn’t know Sierra had done a TED Talk so I looked it up on YouTube afterwards.
Congratulations to Sierra Robinson on her very interesting TED Talk and on passing her Class 7 N Road Test today.
And for all my clients who feel that stress before their Road Tests, take some inspiration from Sierra’s demonstration that you can deal with that stress and perform really well in spite of it, whether it is doing a TED Talk or passing your Road Test.
Class 5 and Class 7 Road Tests are restarting on 20 July 2020.
Here is a link to the ICBC page on Booking A Road Test. To book driving lessons you can Contact Us by phone/text at 250-732-8093, by email at mark@westcoastdrivertraining.com or through the Dialog Box at the bottom of this page.
To book a Road Test by phone call ICBC at 1-800-950-1498 or 250-978-8300. To book a Road Test online, here is a link to the ICBC page on Booking A Road Test Online
For our clients who have been waiting for this announcement of Road Testing resuming before booking lessons, please call us to book lessons as soon as possible. We anticipate many clients booking lessons now to prepare for their Road Tests.
ServiceBC office, 5785 Duncan Street, where ICBC Road Tests are conducted in Duncan, B.C. (photo by West Coast Driver Training)
Here is the text of the email we just received from ICBC:
Starting July 7, ICBC will be resuming Enhanced Road Assessments, motorcycle and recreational trailer road tests.
Customers can book an appointment from today by calling our Driver Licensing customer contact centre at 1-800-950-1498 or 250-978-8300. Motorcycle road tests can also be booked online on icbc.com. We ask customers for their patience as we anticipate high call volumes.
We’ll be contacting customers whose Enhanced Road Assessments, motorcycle and recreational trailer road tests were cancelled between March 17 and 30 to prioritize their appointment. RoadSafetyBC will be sending customers who qualify for an Enhanced Road Assessment appointment a letter which include those who had their appointment cancelled because of the pandemic.
As previously announced with the resumption of commercial road testing, our driver examiners are required to wear personal protective equipment (PPE) for the duration of road tests and have access to a combination of equipment including masks, shields, goggles, gloves and disposable seat covers.
We also provide mandatory medical grade masks for our customers to wear during their road test.
For motorcycle road tests, riders are not required to wear a mask due to the nature of the test but are required to wear the safety vest, which is sanitized after each use.
Conducting motorcycle tests now allows us to reduce the current backlog, which will free up more road test spaces and allows us to secure more PPE as we prepare for the restart of passenger vehicle testing. In addition, conducting motorcycle tests during summer months reduces the likelihood of cancelled tests due to weather.
As a reminder, we ask that customers arrive 15 minutes before their road test appointment and
· ensure they have the required identification
· be prepared for health screening questions
· ensure the interior of their vehicle is clean, and
· maintain physical distance of 2 metres (6 feet) from ICBC representatives when possible.
We will continue with a phased approach of increasing the in-person driver licensing services we provide, while maintaining health and safety a top priority.
Priority testing for essential health care workers and first responders
Starting today, essential health care workers and first responders who require a licence for their job can call our Driver Licensing customer contact centre to book a priority road test appointment. These road tests will begin on July 20.
Rescheduling of cancelled Class 5 and 7 road tests
ICBC Customers — and schools who booked on behalf of their students — that had a Class 5 or 7 road test cancelled between March 17 and March 30 will be contacted to reschedule their appointment. We’ll be calling these customers and schools starting today, and these road tests will begin on July 20.
Following this first grouping, we’ll then be prioritizing the re-booking of customers who had road tests cancelled after March 30. It is expected that these customers will be able to re-book through the month of August.
More details on the timing for new road test bookings will be provided in the following weeks.
We know there is a significant demand for road tests with a backlog of customers whose road tests were cancelled. We’re looking at a number of things, including our resourcing, hours of operation and conducting road testing at other ICBC facilities.
To manage the demand and volume of customers in an office at any given time, ICBC is also looking to move to an appointment system for in-office visits, including driver licence renewals. We are not offering standby appointments at this time. More information will be provided when plans are finalized.
To book driving lessons with West Coast Driver Training, you can Contact Us by phone/text at 250-732-8093, by email at mark@westcoastdrivertraining.com or through the Dialog Box at the bottom of this page.
Our 2020 Toyota Prius Prime is now available for lessons (photo: West Coast Driver Training)Our 2018 Toyota Corolla parked outside the Starbucks / Chapters, Woodgrove Centre, Nanaimo, B.C. (photo: West Coast Driver Training & Education Inc.)
Prior to the COVID-19 shut down in March 2020 we had planned to increase our Class 5 and Class 7 Lesson Prices to bring them in line with other Cowichan Valley and Nanaimo Driving Schools.
Since the COVID-19 shut down has created economic challenges for many clients we have decided to delay increasing our prices until 1 September 2020.
Driving Lessons booked on or after 1 September 2020 will be billed at our new prices.
To book Driving Lessons you can Contact Us by phone/text at (250)732-8093, by email at mark@WestCoastDriverTraining.com or through the Dialog Box at the bottom of this page.
After being shut down since March 2020 to comply with COVID-19 regulations, West Coast Driver Training is re-opening for Driving Lessons as of today.
Please contact us to schedule Driving Lessons. You can phone or text us at 250-732-8093.
We will still be observing COVID-19 precautions as recommended by WorkSafeBC. Instructors will be wearing masks while conduction in car lessons.
Before each lesson, clients will be asked to sign a form saying they do not have any COVID-19 symptoms, have not been in contact in the previous 14 days with anyone who has COVID-19 symptoms or who has tested positve for COVID-19 and have not travelled outside of B.C. in the last 14 days prior to the lesson.
We look forward to seeing our existing clients and new clients.
We just had the following email from ICBC advising that ICBC will resume Commercial Vehicle Road Testing (Class 1,2,3 and 4). For our clients who are waiting for a Commercial Vehicle Road Test, please call ICBC at 1-800-950-1498 or 250-978-8300 ASAP to arrange a Road Test date. My weekday schedule (Monday to Friday 8:30 am to 3:00 p.m. for Commercial Vehicle Road Tests) currently has plenty of openings. Give me call if in doubt about scheduling.
“ICBC resumes commercial vehicle road testing
As our valued stakeholder we wanted to let you know that we’re going to announce that from June 11, customers will be able to book road test appointments for Class 1-4, airbrakes or heavy trailers (endorsement 20) by calling us at 1-800-950-1498 or 250-978-8300. We anticipate some road tests will be conducted by the end of next week.
We’ll be contacting customers whose Class 1-4 road tests were cancelled between March 17 and 30 to prioritize their appointment. We ask customers for their patience as we anticipate high call volumes.
Road testing is going to look different. Our driver examiners will be required to wear personal protective equipment (PPE) for the duration of the road tests. They will have access to a combination of equipment including masks, shields, goggles, gloves and disposable seat covers.
We’re also going to provide a mandatory medical grade mask for customers to wear during the road tests. We ask that customers arrive 15 minutes before their road test appointment and
• ensure they have the required identification
• be prepared for health screening questions
• ensure the interior of their vehicle is clean, and
• maintain physical distance of 2 metres (6 feet) from ICBC representatives when possible.
Drivers who do not follow the required guidelines will result in the road test being suspended, as the health and safety of our employees and customers are paramount.
To date, we have secured sufficient PPE for this initial phase. ICBC has a plan in place to expand the availability of road tests to other classes of licences as soon as possible which will be dependent on the roll-out of this initial phase and the ability to secure sufficient PPE for our employees and customers.
We are continuing our thoughtful phased approach to increasing more of our in-person driver licensing services, while maintaining the health and safety of our employees, customers and partners as our top priority.
To help you get ready for the resumption of road test for your customers, we have included some useful links for you to review:
Thank you for your continued patience during these unprecedented times, and for your support as we move toward a new normal. Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.
Please share this information with your staff and encourage them to check for important news and updates on our driver training web site dtcbc.com.”
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:
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 present Public Health announcements, Phase 3 of the B.C. Restart Plan will go into effect 2 to 4 weeks after the start of Phase 2, which goes into effect on 19 May 2020.
Assuming the Restart Plan remains unchanged and Phase 3 starts 2 to 4 weeks after the start of Phase 2, that means that West Coast Driver Training will likely be able to start offering Driving Lessons again on either Tuesday 2 June 2020 (2 weeks after the start of Phase 2) or 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 2 June 2020. If the start of Phase 3 of the Restart Plan is delayed until 16 June 2020, we can reschedule any Driving Lessons booked for the period 2 – 15 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:
Here are links to some news reports about the COVID-19 Public Health requirements and the Restart Plan:
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 lessons since Tuesday, 17 March 2020.
B.C. Premier John Horgan has announced that the provincial Public Health Emergency for COVID-19 has been extended for an additional two weeks until Wednesday 13 May 2020.
West Coast Driver Training will therefore not be offering Driving Lessons until at least 13 May 2020.
We regret any inconvenience caused by this and we look forward to resuming lessons for our present clients and with new clients as soon as the present COVID-19 Public Health Emergency is over.
Here is Premier John Horgan on 29 April 2020 announcing the extension of the B.C. Public Health Emergency until 13 May 2020:
Here are links to some news reports about these COVID-19 Public Health requirements:
ICBC has just announced that it will resume Knowledge Tests BY APPOINTMENT, starting in 11 May 2020. Anyone wanting to schedule a knowledge test will have to contact ICBC by phone on or after 27 April 2020 to arrange it.
ICBC will also be conducted Class 6 Road Tests (motorcycles) since ICBC Examiners conduct Class 6 Road Tests from a car while following the examinee and can this maintain social distancing during the Road Test.
ServiceBC office, 5785 Duncan Street, where ICBC Road Tests are conducted in Duncan, B.C. (photo by West Coast Driver Training)
For further details, here is the ICBC Press Release:
“Limited knowledge testing by appointment only and motorcycle skills tests starting May 11
Starting May 11, 2020, ICBC will begin conducting limited knowledge testing by appointment only at ICBC driver licensing offices (DLOs), Service BC offices and a limited number of appointed agent offices. A few of our ICBC DLOs may start earlier as we install Plexiglass barriers to help maintain social distancing. Many of our appointed agent offices remain closed, so check our service locator on icbc.com for their current status.
At this time, knowledge testing is being limited to the following:
• All commercial learner class applicants including air brakes and heavy trailer.
• New residents to B.C. who require a knowledge test as part of their application for a B.C. driver’s licence. Road tests for these applicants are still not available.
• Any customer (Class 1-8) where their learner’s licence has expired on or after March 1, or will be expiring within two weeks from when they phone to book their appointment.
Customers will be required to book their knowledge test by calling our Driver Licensing contact centre on or after April 27 and leaving a voicemail message with their name, contact number and the location they wish to take their knowledge test.
Appointment based testing allows us to control the volume of customers attending our DLOs to help maintain social distancing within our offices to further protect our employees and customers. Stand-by or walk-in appointments will not be accommodated at this time.
We’ll continue to review the demand and impacts of these knowledge test appointments before deciding to expand our knowledge testing services.
Motorcycle skills testing starting May 11
Motorcycle skills testing will also begin on May 11 but is only limited to riders who
• currently hold a motorcycle learner’s licence, or
• have a motorcycle learner licence that expired on or after March 1.
Riders can begin booking a motorcycle skills test starting April 27 for appointments occurring on or after May 11 using the online road test booking service or by contacting our Driver Licensing contact centre.
Please share this information with your staff and encourage them to check for important news and updates on our driver training web site dtcbc.com.
Lee Olley
Director
Driver Licensing Customer Services
Public Affairs and Driver Licensing Division”
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 lessons since Tuesday, 17 March 2020.
B.C. Premier John Horgan has announced that the provincial Public Health Emergency for COVID-19 has been extended for an additional two weeks until 28 April 2020.
West Coast Driver Training will therefore not be offering Driving Lessons until at least 28 April 2020.
We regret any inconvenience caused by this and we look forward to resuming lessons for our present clients and with new clients as soon as the present COVID-19 Public health Emergency is over.
Here is Premier John Horgan announcing the extension of the B.C. Public Health Emergency until 28 April 2020:
Here are links to some news reports about these COVID-19 Public Health requirements:
