Forget about the pitfalls of road rage, and let’s talk about the frustration that begins when a 16-year-old can even get their foot on the gas pedal!
Many Service Canada Centres no longer allow students to come in and take the knowledge test for their G1. To add more disappointment, when you call the Stittsville location, most likely no one will answer the phone, and you can listen to their message. “The mailbox belonging to Stittsville Service Ontario is full and cannot accept new messages at this time. Please try again later. Goodbye.”
The parents of the students from Stittsville have to drive us to Carleton Place or Arnprior to “somewhat” locally take our driving test. We can all agree that with a population of over 41,000 in Stittsville, we should have a better program in our not-so-little town. The wait time for the road test is outrageous, and for everyone eager to get a driver’s license when they turn 16, their dreams might be put on hold until they are 17 or 18. Unfortunately, COVID-19 is the culprit here, as it has created a long backlog. The waiting period to get a full G class license is usually 8-12 months from start to finish, but this time frame has grown to shocking wait times. In some parts of Ontario, it will take closer to 2.5 years, according to CTV Ottawa. They say patience is a virtue, but it’s not the easiest thing to practice in situations like these. So in the meantime, we thank our lucky stars for parents, siblings, and OC Transpo.