TORONTO, Ont. -- It’s officially official. The Ontario Ministry of Transportation has issued a notice to its signing authorities and registered authorities that licensing rules for A/Z drivers 65 years of age and older are changing.
The bulletin, dated Feb. 12, informed front-line workers that A, B, C, E and F licence holders between the ages of 65 and 79 will no longer have to take an annual road test to renew their licence. The renewal period for their licence and the frequency of their knowledge tests will change from annual to every five years. The visual test and medicals will continue to be required yearly.
Drivers with more than two demerit points, or those who’ve been involved in an at-fault collision may still require a road test.
“These changes address concerns raised by stakeholders over the last several years, including complaints that the current system is time-consuming, costly and discriminatory,” the bulletin read. “These changes will reduce the regulatory burden and testing costs incurred by senior commercial drivers with no expected impact on road safety.”
The changes go into effect April 1.