It is far away when the driving license cost 1500 euros, now prices exceed a symbolic bar. And no one saw him coming!
Always spending the driving license costs money, and it’s not for nothing. Behind, there are monitors who must be formed, cars to maintain, fuel, insurance, premises, and all the management of a driving school to run. It is a real job, with fixed loads, and all this has repercussions on the price paid by the candidates. It is also necessary to take into account the organization of the examination, which mobilizes inspectors and all a logistics which also has a cost.
But in recent years, these costs have been weighed down, impacted by inflation, the insurance and petrol rate, successive license reforms, or the evolution of more modern vehicles, therefore more expensive to maintain. As a result, students per license see prices fly away, especially today. When we compare with what generations before, the gap is important. For the youngest or those who do not have many means, it becomes a real obstacle to get started. And for good reason, the sector of driving professionals in France is currently experiencing a crisis. There is in particular a large shortage of slots to pass the driving license exam.
Result: the deadlines are growing strongly and the costs continue to increase … questioned on the subject by our colleagues from CapitalPatrick Mirouse, president of the ECF group, leader in education and training in driving and road safety, said: “Either you train yourself to drive while waiting for an exam date and it costs you more, or you wait, but you miss your license and it is also paid. It is the infernal machine, the longer it is, the more expensive it is.” And indeed, with the lack of slots to pass the examination and the scarcity of inspectors, many are forced to resume hours while waiting for a date … which can increase the note “Well beyond 2,500 euros” From now on.
And yet, in normal times, a student spent on average between 1,700 and 1800 euros for classic training of around 30 hours of driving. This price difference illustrates how heavy examination weighs on the budget. And for many candidates, this sum simply becomes inaccessible. For comparison, at one time, candidates could pay their driving license to a little less than the minimum wage.
Faced with this situation, professionals in the sector ask that concrete measures be applied as quickly as possible to unclog the system and restore visibility to candidates. Among their proposals: lower the age of early learning to 14 years, better prepare students by increasing the volume of compulsory hours, or even set up a level test before the exam.