5 EYEWITNESS NEWS investigation preview: Driving test delays
[anvplayer video=”4759911″ station=”998122″]
Taking a behind-the-wheel driver’s test is free, yet because of a state backlog, finding an open time to get in has become a full-time job for parents.
KSTP’s Jessica Miles has new information that is outraging lawmakers and parents.
There are 22 commercial driving schools operating in the Twin Cities with reserved spots for behind-the-wheel driving tests. Spots are given to them by the Minnesota Department of Public Safety.
Parents wait in long lines, sometimes overnight, hoping there’s a no-show so their child can take a road test.
5 EYEWITNESS NEWS found some driving schools are given those coveted spots and are willing to sell them to parents.
Drivers wait their turns at an Eagan facility to take a driving test.[KSTP/ Chris Knoll, File]
According to state records, some schools are given hundreds of reserved slots a year and only train a few dozen drivers.
5 EYEWITNESS NEWS also found some of these schools, licensed by the DPS, are not registered companies with the Secretary of State’s Office, as required by state law.
Having brought concerns to the DPS, Miles shares the full investigation Thursday at 6:30 p.m.