Careful consideration is needed when licensing driver training and testing.

To meet the needs of the people, many driver training and testing centers have sprung up in the area recently, creating strong competition. In the current context where supply exceeds demand, the licensing of driver training and testing facilities for these units and businesses is an issue that needs careful consideration.

Teachers at the Quang Tri Driving Training and Testing Center check the practical skills of trainees - Photo: QH

Competition for development

With just a click of a mouse, a phone call, or a text message, people can access essential information regarding the enrollment process at driving schools and testing centers. This information is also increasingly appearing in public places, on billboards, posters, and leaflets. At some driving schools and testing centers, teachers, staff, and workers are encouraged and financially supported to go to communes, wards, and towns to conduct enrollment activities. Many teachers incorporate enrollment information into their teaching courses. For those who are too busy, registration forms are conveniently delivered directly to them by the training centers, testing centers, and teachers.

It can be said that never before has the recruitment, training, and testing of drivers in the area developed as strongly as it does now. Solutions to promote recruitment and create favorable conditions for people in need are increasingly emerging. This transformation likely stems from the increasing number of driver training and testing facilities being established.

According to statistics from the Department of Transportation, there are currently 4 training centers for motorcycle and car driving licenses of various categories and 2 driving test centers for cars in the province. The 4 training centers for motorcycle and car driving licenses include: Quang Tri Vocational College of Transportation; ASEAN Vocational College; Manh Linh Vocational Education Center; and Quang Tri Driving Training and Test Center. These training facilities are fairly evenly distributed across Dong Ha City, Huong Hoa District, and Vinh Linh District.

With the emergence of numerous driver training and testing facilities, these units have continuously innovated and developed to increase their competitiveness. Although only established in October 2020, the Quang Tri Driver Training and Testing Center has quickly established its reputation.

To achieve these results, the center has implemented various solutions to ensure effective enrollment, training, and examination, such as: teaching theory and simulations in a traditional, focused manner combined with guided self-study; providing materials and links for students to refer to on information channels, social media, and mobile applications; assigning teachers to small groups to facilitate counseling and mentoring...

Practical driving instruction is always conducted in the correct sequence and with all the necessary lessons. Driving exercises must be performed according to the prescribed sections and general methods developed and issued by the training center.

“Over the past year, the center has enrolled and trained 1,399 students in categories B1 automatic, B2, and C. Of these, 1,091 students have passed the driving test and been issued a driver's license, achieving a rate of 81.72%.”

"That result was achieved thanks to the collective efforts of the entire team, helping the center stand firm in today's competitive environment," said Mr. Nguyen Van Ngo, Director of the Quang Tri Driving Training and Examination Center.

Implementing various solutions to increase competitiveness, the Quang Tri Vocational College of Transportation has recently become a popular choice for many people seeking driving lessons. The school currently has approximately 60 staff members, including 50 instructors for theory and practical training. To improve training quality, the center regularly assesses and evaluates the competence of its instructors. Professional ethics are always a top priority for the teachers.

Mr. Tran Minh Trung, Principal of Quang Tri Vocational College of Transportation, shared: “In the current period, competition is inevitable. Therefore, we have made great efforts to change and further affirm the school's rich tradition. What we are most concerned about now is having to face unhealthy competition.”

Supply has exceeded demand.

Compared to other provinces and cities nationwide, Quang Tri is a small province with a small population and low per capita income. Although the demand for driving lessons has increased recently, it hasn't been excessively high. According to statistics from the Department of Transport on training results over the past three years (including students trained in other provinces), the demand for car driving lessons throughout the province fluctuates between 3,000 and 5,000 students per year. The fluctuation in demand for driving lessons is considered not significant.

According to data provided by the Department of Transport, the training capacity of the four driving schools currently operating in the province is approximately 9,000 students per year for all categories of automobile driving licenses and 50,000-60,000 students for category A1 licenses.

From 2019 to the present, on average, the training centers have only trained nearly 5,000 new students in car driving (approximately 50% of the capacity of the four training centers) and over 8,000 students in A1 motorcycle driving (approximately 20% of the capacity of the three training centers) each year. Assessment shows that the capacity of the four driving schools far exceeds the demand for driving lessons in the area.

This reality partly explains why competition among driver training and testing centers in the province is increasing. This competition is intensifying as some centers in Quang Binh and Thua Thien Hue provinces are also choosing Quang Tri as a location to expand their recruitment and training. To compete, some training centers are not afraid to "circumvent the law" in certain aspects. This is a major concern for training and testing centers operating in accordance with regulations.

In this general context, if more driver training and testing facilities continue to be opened in the area, supply will certainly far exceed demand. Competition will become even more intense and complex. This oversupply will also lead to difficulties in management. This is precisely the "loophole" that causes the waste of social resources.

Because opening a driver training and testing facility requires a lot of resources, from land, infrastructure, equipment, and vehicles to human resources. When a training facility is licensed and receives significant investment, but has too few students, the first to be disadvantaged is the investor.

Looking at neighboring provinces like Quang Binh, Thua Thien Hue, and some other nearby localities, although they have more advantages than Quang Tri in many aspects of driver training and testing, the investment licensing is appropriately limited. Typically, each province only has about 3-4 training facilities.

In Thua Thien Hue province, despite having nearly 1.2 million inhabitants and numerous universities, colleges, and central government agencies, there are only 3 training facilities and 1 testing center. Therefore, it is suggested that relevant provincial authorities and departments carefully consider and research before granting licenses to units and businesses to invest in additional driver training and testing facilities in the province at this time.

Quang Hiep

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