SINGAPORE: The Traffic Police ( TP ) will allow driving schools to employ foreign instructors to address the issue of long waiting times for Class 4 driving lessons, Home Affairs , Minister K Shanmugam said on Monday ( Nov 11 ).
Class 4 licensing allow individuals to operate , big engine cars such as cars and large trucks.
CNA reported last month that some secret bus and tour companies were hampered by the inability to secure overbooked driving lessons games for their foreign workers, who were unable to get to Singapore’s streets without obtaining a local license.  ,
In a published political reply, Mr Shanmugam said that between , October 2023 and September 2024, the common waiting period for an applicant to launch their Group 4 moving lessons was about five months.
According to him,” the subsequent increase in waiting times is caused by a lack of trainers in the driving schools and a rise in foreigners applying for Category 4 driving licenses.”
” Traffic Police ( TP ) will allow driving schools to employ foreign instructors, to supplement the local pool and alleviate the shortage of driving instructors. This will improve teaching capacity”.
Member of Parliament Melvin Yong posed questions for Mr. Shanmugam, who also inquired about the common waiting time, whether need has outpaced supply, and how the ministry intends to get rid of the applicant queue.
Now, the Singapore Safety Driving Centre, located at Woodlands, is the only driving institution that provides services for Class 4 education and testing.
The TP is prepared to permit more driving schools to offer Class 4 instruction, according to Mr. Shanmugam.
” In contrast, TP will prioritise candidates who require Class 4 driving licences for occupational functions”, he added.
CNA contacted TP for more details regarding international driving instructors ‘ work.  ,
About 30 % of its vehicle owners are awaiting instruction and passing their exams, according to a visit agency’s report to CNA in October.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, it took approximately four to five months for international staff to get their driving licensing, according to a spokesperson for WTS Travel.  ,
The company has lost about 20 % of its income as a result of the current six to seven-month process.
There have been much waiting times at various traveling centers for licenses of all kinds.
Some students are using digital bots to book useful lesson slots in the wake of a post-pandemic spike in sign-ups, evidencing warning schools against doing this.