By Chandrayee Roy Choudhury, Canada
Thousands of people in Ontario who are facing their final driver's licence road test may no longer have to prove they can execute a three-point turn, a roadside emergency stop or even the dreaded parallel parking manoeuvre.
It's all part of the province's plan to shorten the test to help clear a massive backlog built up during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The statement says the three-point turn, parallel parking and emergency roadside stop can be removed from the final G-class test "at the examiner's discretion."
The province says the changes are temporary measures, in place until at least March 31, to deal with the provincewide testing backlog.
More than 420,000 people are waiting to take driving tests, mainly due to those cancelled during various COVID-19 lockdowns and safety measures.
The delays create problems for people needing to drive to work or for families keen to let older teens start driving themselves around.
The province says the changes will speed up testing "while continuing to elevate drivers' skills," but some Ontario driving instructors aren't convinced it's the right move.
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