Temporary seven-day-a-week Drive Test centre in Oshawa opening Monday

Ontario is opening a temporary road test centre in Oshawa Monday morning to help clear the backlog of driving tests caused by the pandemic.

The temporary centre will be open seven days a week from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and will be open for people looking to take their G1 or G2 road tests. A second location in Guelph will also open Monday, though that site will be open just five days a week until September when it too will operate seven days a week.

Transportation Minister Caroline Mulroney said her government will be opening more temporary test centres next month to serve Hamilton/Niagara, Mississauga/Brampton, Toronto and York/Durham, but wanted to open the first two sites early “where demand is highest.”

“We are taking concrete action to clear the road test backlog, and that includes opening temporary road test centres so people who need tests can get one as soon as possible,” Mulroney said. “As Ontario continues to head in the right direction in the fight against Covid-19, we have an aggressive plan in place to hire additional temporary driver examiners, open additional centres to offer road testing, and extend weekday operating hours for passenger road testing, including weekends.”

The Minister also reminded drivers that if their road test was cancelled due to Covid-19 restrictions, they will receive a credit on the system so they can rebook their test.

“Opening temporary road test centres will help clear the backlog and allow hard-working residents in the Region of Durham to book an assessment as early as possible,” enthused Whitby MPP Lorne Coe. “The temporary drive centre in Oshawa will give the people of Durham Region the quickest path to getting back on the road.”