Currently, learner drivers have to undergo four hours of classroom training before being allowed to take their driving test. From next year that will increase to eight hours, Teerayut Prasertpol, Chief of the PLTO, told The Phuket News today (November 10).
Thatthiya Thisatthayaphitak, the PLTO’s Driving License Adviser said, “We will have higher quality training for new drivers.”
The training will consist of watching road safety and rules-of-the-road videos, along with lectures. It will not include actually driving on roads or on the PLTO’s track.
The number of people the PLTO will accept for driver training each week will be halved, said Ms Thatthiya, from the current 300 to 150.
However, the PLTO has already signed memoranda of understanding with Rajabhat University Phuket (in Phuket Town) and Chotima Driving School (in Kathu), who will offer the same driver training.
The PLTO has already made passing the driving test more difficult by introducing a more comprehensive multiple-choice on-screen questionnaire in June this year, with a higher percentage of correct answers required.
Whereas in the past people had to get 22 answers right out of 30 questions (73 per cent), from June 1 the number of questions rose to 50, with a score of 45 (90 per cent) required in order to pass.
From next year the practical part of the test, on the PLTO’s track, will be monitored by an array of lasers that will check the driver’s exact position anywhere on the track.