Ministry Offers Second Chance to Driving License Aspirants after Exam Debacle

In an unexpected turn of events, the Ministry of Transport and Logistics has announced a second opportunity for driving license examinees following an extraordinary 99% failure rate attributed to non-authentic photo questions. This decision brings relief to thousands of candidates who found themselves in a precarious situation during the recent driving license tests.

During a press conference following today's Cabinet meeting, Minister Mohamed Abdeljalil unveiled the ministry's decision to provide a fresh opportunity to those who failed the exam last Monday. "Those who passed the test last Monday will be given another chance to take the test without counting the first attempt," the minister affirmed, acknowledging the irregularities that marred the initial examination process.

Abdeljalil defended the newly implemented driving license exam system, asserting its importance as a crucial component of the broader educational reform. He emphasized that this new method aligns with the five major pillars of the 2017-2026 national road safety policy, particularly emphasizing the human factor pillar, which involves sensitization, training, and monitoring workshops.

Explaining the rationale behind the recent changes, the minister revealed that after two years of work within the National Road Safety Agency and a year of negotiations with driving education institutions, the ministry launched the new system last Monday to execute the national plan initiated in 2020. The agency has developed a training platform for driving schools to enhance examiner training, stressing that this system goes beyond a mere driver's license test.

Abdeljalil further elaborated that the overarching goal of these initiatives is to educate drivers on driving and road laws, their responsibilities behind the wheel, and factors influencing road safety. Ultimately, the ministry aims to reduce the alarming rate of traffic accidents in Morocco, a challenge that remains unresolved, as the minister candidly acknowledged.

"This is not the Morocco we want," Abdeljalil remarked, referring to the country's dismal road safety ranking, which places it either in the second half worldwide or atop the last third. He urged serious efforts to expedite the implementation and evaluation of the national road safety strategy, highlighting that the relevant agency is currently conducting an assessment study to address the shortcomings observed during the strategy's initial phase while adhering to the objective of halving the number of traffic fatalities.

Acknowledging the difficulty in meeting the initial target of halving the number of fatal traffic accidents by 2026, the ministry now expects to accomplish this objective by 2030.

The announcement of a second chance for driving license aspirants follows widespread frustration among supervisors and executives of driving schools in Morocco, who witnessed an almost universal failure rate of applicants on Monday. Reports suggest that the delay in releasing the new question bank from NARSA, the exam's regulatory authority, from March 18 to March 25, contributed to the 99% failure rate.

The situation was further exacerbated by the circulation of purportedly challenging questions about drinking and driving, which NARSA categorically denied, issuing a warning about potential legal action against those disseminating false information about the exam's content.

As the Ministry of Transport and Logistics navigates this challenging phase, the decision to provide a second chance to driving license aspirants serves as a pragmatic step towards addressing the concerns of thousands of candidates and paving the way for a more transparent and fair examination process.