French driving schools staged a nationwide strike on Sept. 29, with a Paris Republic Square convoy protest, over severe driving examiner shortages forcing 考生 to wait months for tests.
PARIS — For months, French driving students have stared at calendars marked with vague “waiting for examiner” notes, their dreams of hitting the road stuck in a bureaucratic traffic jam. On September 29, the frustration boiled over: driving schools across France launched a nationwide strike, culminating in a convoy protest at Paris’ iconic Republic Square to demand action on a crippling examiner shortage.
The Crisis: Months of Waiting, Broken Plans
For Marie Lefèvre, a 22-year-old student in Lyon, the wait for a driving test has derailed more than just her commute. “I applied for a part-time job 10 weeks ago that requires a license, and they keep pushing back my start date,” she told a local reporter at the strike. “My instructor says I’m ready — but there’s no one to test me. It’s like having a plane ticket but no runway.”
Her story isn’t unique. Data from France’s Ministry of the Interior shows average wait times for a practical driving test hit 14 weeks in August 2024 — up from 8 weeks in 2022. In rural areas like Brittany and Normandy, waits stretch to 20 weeks or more. Driving school owners say the root cause is a severe shortage of certified examiners: the country needs roughly 1,200 more examiners to meet demand, according to the National Union of Driving School Owners (UNAM).
Strike Day: Convoys, Chants, and a Call for Change
On Sunday, September 29, hundreds of driving school vehicles — from dual-control cars to instructor vans — converged on Paris’ Republic Square, their horns honking in a coordinated protest. Drivers waved signs reading “Examiners = Mobility” and “Months of Waiting = Lost Opportunities,” drawing crowds of onlookers and local politicians.
“We’re not here to inconvenience anyone — we’re here to be heard,” said Pierre Dubois, president of UNAM, in a speech at the square. “Every day, we have students crying in our offices because their exam got canceled for the third time. This isn’t just a paperwork issue; it’s a crisis for young people, workers, and families who rely on cars to live.”
The strike wasn’t limited to Paris. In Marseille, driving schools closed their doors, and instructors handed out flyers to pedestrians explaining the shortage. In Toulouse, a small convoy circled the city center, while in Strasbourg, local officials met with strike organizers to discuss short-term fixes.
What’s Next? Government Promises and Skepticism
In response to the strike, France’s Ministry of Transport released a statement on Sunday afternoon, vowing to “accelerate the recruitment and training of driving examiners” in the coming months. The plan includes boosting funding for examiner training programs and temporarily reassigning retired examiners to high-demand regions.
But many driving school owners and students are skeptical. “We’ve heard these promises before,” said Sophie Martin, who runs a driving school in Bordeaux. “Last year, they said wait times would drop by 2024 — and they’ve only gotten worse. We need action, not press releases.”
For now, the strike has put a spotlight on an issue that’s long flown under the radar. As Lefèvre put it: “Driving isn’t a luxury for most of us — it’s how we get to work, take our kids to school, and live our lives. This shortage isn’t just slowing down tests; it’s slowing down people’s futures.”
With no clear timeline for relief, many French driving students are left waiting — and hoping the strike will finally push the government to hit the gas on solutions.