SGI To Resume Select Road Tests
In what could be seen as yet another sign of the provincial economy re-opening SGI is resuming road testing for drivers working in health care and agriculture, starting May 11.
Making use of technology SGI will be offering at first a limited number of modified road tests. The tests will allow those in agriculture and health care - both deemed essential services - to acquire their licenses.
SGI has developed a modified procedure to offer road tests to drivers seeking a Class 5, 4, or 2 licence for these two sectors.
Class 5 licences entitle drivers to operate “regular” private vehicles.
Class 4 licences permit the holder to operate ambulances (as well as taxis, limos, ridesharing vehicles, and buses that seat 24 or fewer passengers).
Class 2 licences allow a driver to operate buses that seat more than 24 passengers.
“We recognize that some people have a pressing need for a driver’s licence,” Kwei Quaye, SGI Vice President of Traffic Safety said in a statement.
“Health care workers are providing essential care and we need to ensure they can operate the required vehicles or drive to work or other locations to provide important medical services. Agriculture has been deemed critical to ensure food production continues; seeding is underway and having drivers to support this sector helps ensure a secure food supply chain.”
Limited capacity
Because of strict enhanced safety protocols and equipment limitations, initially there will be a maximum of 140 road tests per week available across the province, divided among testing centres in Regina, Saskatoon, Prince Albert, Swift Current, North Battleford and Yorkton.
Moose Jaw will not be one of the initial testing centres but will be part of an expansion of services in June.
The tests will begin May 11, available initially only to people working in health care and agriculture.
As capacity allows, SGI will contact the approximately 4,500 people outside of those sectors to re-schedule appointments that were cancelled when the pandemic restrictions took effect.
While current restrictions remain in effect, testing capacity is expected to increase to a maximum of 320 per week by early June, with availability expanded to include Meadow Lake, Humboldt, Weyburn, Kindersley, Lloydminster, Tisdale, Estevan and Moose Jaw.
Customers in health care or agriculture, along with customers that had a previously scheduled road test that was cancelled, will continue to receive priority booking.
People working in health care and agriculture, and those who had a test cancelled due to the pandemic are currently the only ones eligible for road test appointments.
It is expected to be some time before testing re-opens for new test appointments; SGI will announce when this stage resumes.
Safety protocols
Physical distancing is not possible in a vehicle, so in order to keep both the applicant and examiner from being exposed, the examiner will follow behind the student in a trail vehicle, similar to how Class 1 and Class 3 road tests are being conducted.
Class 5 applicants* will be accompanied by a supervising driver who lives in the same household, so there will be no additional exposure risk for the applicant or the examiner.
The supervising driver is there as a safety precaution only, and is not permitted to assist the applicant in completing the test.
SGI will provide a dash camera to record the driver and the view out the windshield.
The driver examiner will follow the student in a separate vehicle. Driving instructions will be given by the examiner via handsfree cellphone. The applicant will be permitted to use a handsfree cellphone or Bluetooth to receive instructions during the test only. (New drivers are otherwise prohibited from using cellphones while driving).
The SGI examiner will mark the test based on what was recorded by the camera and what may have been observed during the examination, with results provided within one business day.
To determine if they meet the criteria to take a road test (i.e. they work in health care or agriculture), customers will need to apply using the application on SGI’s website, available at www.sgi.sk.ca/covid-19 under the “Driver Testing” section.
Customers that qualify to take a road test will be notified by email and will have to submit a signed agreement and waiver, along with a waiver from their supervising driver, in the case of Class 5 applicants.
(Those forms are also available at www.sgi.sk.ca/covid-19). Customers will then book their road test with a scheduling clerk.
SGI suspended all road testing in mid-March to ensure physical distancing to keep customers and employees safe.
Modified testing for commercial licences (Class 1 and 3 drivers) resumed on April 20, with similar safety protocols.