End of the road for driving schools?

1 December 2004

BRUSSELS – The jobs of 1,000 driving instructors are on the line, according to reports in the Flemish press on Wednesday.

Belgium’s professional driving school federation told Het Niewsblad and Het Volk that a change in the law introduced in August had dealt a serious blow to driving teachers.

Learner drivers who fail two driving tests are no longer obliged by law to follow theory classes at a driving school.

Federation president Georges Van Aerschot said, as a result, the number of pupils taking the courses had plummeted by 5,000 in October – the equivalent of 47 percent less business.

“If this trend continues, I fear the number of instructors will be cut by half and I also fear for the survival of many driving schools,” he said.

Subject: Belgian news