mobility
Associations criticize the explosion in costs for vehicle driving licenses
Obtaining a driver’s license has become expensive. photo
© Swen Pförtner/dpa
It has become expensive to get a driving license. However, according to the ADAC, there are big regional differences.
Driving instructor associations and automobile clubs complain about the significantly increased costs of purchasing the vehicle driving license. These are now between 3,000 and 4,000 euros, writes the “Bild” newspaper. “This is hardly manageable not only for low earners, but also for many normal earners,” said Malte Dringenberg, spokesman for the Automobile Club of Germany (AvD), to the newspaper. A driving license is an important prerequisite for social participation and is essential for many professions.
The ADAC referred to higher vehicle costs, increased fuel costs and, above all, higher personnel costs due to an acute shortage of driving instructors. However, there are large regional differences in the prices for driving training. According to the head of the North Rhine Driving Instructors Association, Kurt Bartels, driving schools are forced to pass on increased costs to the driving students.
In addition, on average, more driving hours are required to be ready for the exam than before. “Twenty years ago it was around 20, today it’s 30 to 40 hours,” said Bartels. In addition to stricter requirements for driving tests, the reasons are that traffic has become more complex, especially in metropolitan areas – for example due to higher vehicle density, e-scooters and more cyclists. “The vast majority of learner drivers need at least 30 driving hours to be ready to take the test,” AvD spokesman Dringenberg told the dpa on Wednesday. According to the Berlin Driving Instructors Association, a lack of appointments for driving tests is also driving up the costs of many driving students.
According to Dringenberg, the costs for a class B driving license are now as follows: The basic amount for registering at the driving school is between 250 and 400 euros, a driving lesson (45 minutes) costs between 55 and 70 euros. The fee for the theoretical exam is 50 euros, the practical exam is 150 to 180 euros. According to the AvD spokesman, there are also costs for the eye test and first aid training.