To be able to drive a bus, until now the holder of a category B license had to initially pass a category C1 or D1 license test, which could be obtained from the ages of 18 and 21, respectively. Only after that, could one start learning to drive a bus in order to obtain a category D driver's license, which could be obtained only from the age of 24.
From now on, it is expected that persons who have the right to drive category B vehicles (or passenger cars) will be able to obtain the necessary category D license for driving a bus from the age of 18 and without the need for the intermediate C1 or D1 status.
Such amendments were initiated by the Ministry of Transport because there is an acute shortage of bus drivers in Latvia, as a result of which it is often necessary to cancel routes.
One of the main reasons for the shortage of bus drivers is that more than two-thirds of qualified drivers are of pre-retirement and retirement age. The ministry pointed out that worldwide there is a shortage of bus drivers and admits that domestic efforts to attract young people to work in the public transport sector have not been very successful so far.
Previous efforts to lower drivers' permissable ages failed to prompt any interest among educational institutions to provide training courses, which in turn meant no drivers were being trained.
"The lack of interest from training institutions to implement such training programs can be explained by the high costs of training, which private individuals would not be able to cover from their own funds, especially considering the subsequent low level of remuneration of bus drivers," admitted the ministry.
The new amendments also change the manner in which driver's licenses obtained in third countries can be exchanged for a Latvian driver's license, as the number of people who want to do so has significantly increased in Latvia in recent years.
Often the requirements for obtaining a driver's license in third countries differ from the procedure established in the European Union, where it is stricter. It is not uncommon for third-country passenger licenses to drive all types of vehicles, including trucks and buses. Drivers who do not have the necessary knowledge and skills to drive vehicles of the relevant category pose a significant threat to traffic safety.
Therefore, in order to obtain a Latvian driver's license with the right to drive several categories of vehicles, a person will have to pass a driving test with a vehicle corresponding to each category.
However, an exception will be made for former EU member state Great Britiain. Holders of driver's licenses issued in Great Britain will not have to pass an exam in order to exchange their license for one issued in Latvia. This question had been left unsettled after Brexit, when Britain became a third country instead of a fellow EU member.
Another change will affect drivers who have held a license but have let it lapse. In the future, if the driver's license expired three or more years ago, it can be renewed only after passing the category B theoretical and driving exam.
