Politics taz
Driving license reform: Make driving licenses cheap again
The Bundestag has decided to reform the driving license. The transport minister is aiming for costs to be reduced by up to 1,000 euros. Is this possible? more...
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Driving licenses should not only be cheaper, but also more digital and less bureaucratic in the future. The federal government wants to achieve this from July 2027 with a reform, the first part of which passed the Bundestag on Thursday. Some of the changes still have to be approved by the Federal Council and will be developed by the states. The states also still have to agree to the second part of the reform package – a regulation from the Ministry of Transport.
The biggest innovation is the so-called lay training. This means that the concept of accompanied driving at 17 is extended to include the period of practical training. In this way, driving students should be able to gain more driving experience in addition to their driving lessons. To do this, you must have already passed the theory test and completed six driving lessons. The accompanying persons, such as parents, should also be prepared theoretically and practically.
Driving students will also be able to complete theory lessons online in the future. This is intended to reduce the space costs of driving schools. The list of questions in the theory test should also be significantly reduced.
Furthermore, the requirements for special trips should no longer apply. So far, twelve of them are mandatory, for example in the dark or on the motorway. Driving instructors can now decide individually who needs how many hours. In addition, there is a shorter exam duration and a transparency register with which customers can compare prices and passing rates.
It is controversial whether the savings of up to 1,000 euros announced by Federal Transport Minister Steffen Bilger (CDU) are realistic. “On the one hand, driving schools would have to pass on the savings, and on the other hand, student drivers actually need fewer driving hours,” said Michael Müller-Görnert, transport policy spokesman for the ecological transport club VCD, to the taz. The Federal Association of Driving Instructors Associations considers the cost reduction to be unrealistic.
In general, it is to be welcomed if driving licenses become cheaper, says Müller-Görnert. But the political focus should be on strengthening alternatives to cars, for example through better bus and train services or a discounted Germany ticket.