Paphos People

It should be in the 'New' section but I'll put it here for now

100 per cent failure rate on driving instructors’ exam

ONE HUNDRED and sixty driving instructor hopefuls have all failed their exams, blaming the Road Transport Department for setting the bar too high.

A hundred candidates failed a first exam, with another 60 not managing either in a second examination on March 6

In the latter, all 60 failed due to mistakes made in reading road traffic signs.

Thirty questions were posed, with candidates requiring 27 correct answers in order to pass. The best candidate could only manage a score of 25.

The examinations also focused on The Highway Code, as well as car safety such as tyre inflation and braking and legal issues, for example the endorsement of penalty points on driving licences.

Responding, all candidates have since complained that the level of the exams was set too high, while in the multiple choice section, they say that many of the options given were misleading.

Many of those who did not pass are university graduates, some of whom have specialist technical degrees such as engineering.

They have also accused the Road Transport Department, who set the exams, of putting the future of family-run driving schools in jeopardy by raising the bar so high, and insinuated that the RTD would prefer driving schools to be run by larger businesses.

They say the fact that not a single person passed proves that the exams are too difficult.

On his part, Yiannis Nicolaides of the Road Transport Department said: “It goes without saying that all of the candidates need to raise their level as opposed to the exams being made easier.”



Copyright © Cyprus Mail 2008


Or maybe it because none of them can drive in the first place

Maybe now the RTD will start testing the instructors they have already & every Cypiot who has passed their so called driving test here

Ha, ha!
I read that earlier this morning and considered popping it on the forum - then thought better about it.....

There is another cyprus forum where the members can get a little hot under the collar if they think us ex-pats are laughing at there expense.

But, yes I agree - it certainly does throw some light on the subject.

What I want to know though ,is how many questions are there that you have to score 27 out of, to pass the Instructors test? The article doesn't really give you a clue - it could be 27 out of 30 or 130.....

If it's 30 - then, they could well have a valid argument!

_________________
Regards
Shell

Hi Shell,

I think its 27/30 which I think is pretty sensible, considering what they are meant to do with the qualification

After all I needed 95/100 to pass my advance driving qualifiction in the forces

Now you understand why Cyrprus is the top country in Europe for road deaths

One thing you need to remember is, we're not like other forums, we allow our member to voice their personal opinions as long as it doesn't contrevene our T&C's

It doesn't explain why the standard of driving amongst ex-pats is equally appalling - or why so many think it is OK to drive with a skinful of alcohol - like the clown my neighbour pulled out of his car a couple of evenings ago?

Frankly I would rather drive here than in the UK, where the road death rate increased by 13% last year, as it is far more relaxing to do so when the traffic is light. It is the light traffic which allows drivers to use excessive speed that results in the high death rate (and Portugal, Spain Greece and the Eastern European states are all as bad or worse than Cyprus), rather than anything peculiarly bad about the driving standards here, It is much harder to kill someone when the traffic only moves at 10 mph! If you think that the driving is bad here, you should try Naples in the rush hour!

I have to agree with you KG about the expats drinking and driving. They are a menace on the roads, but think they are fine and better drivers than anyone else, even when staggering and slurring their words, and obviously incapable. Mind you, I met people like this in the UK, we often struggled to get the car keys from one person who was so obviously drunk, yet insisted on driving himself and his wife home, and anybody else who would get in the car with him (not many takers for that one). If I am driving, I limit myself to one drink - although sometimes I don't have any and stick to the soft drinks, but you always get somebody trying to ply you with drinks, and when you so No, I'm driving, they laugh at you! I have heard that one of the main reasons people go back to the UK is because of the drinking - I suppose it's too easy to get into the habit, which is a real shame. Perhaps as well I don't like the feeling when I get drunk - Christmas Eve was enough for me, thank you very much, and No, I wasn't driving.

_________________
Jean

Retirement - harder work than working - But much more fun

The reason ex-pats drive so badly over here is because they become complacent & do what the cypriots do & because they're not pulled up for it, like they would be in the UK, they think they can get away with it & over time, its gets worse & worse until they are involved in an accident

I say this now, if I ever get invovled in an accident with a ex-pat, due to them driving like a Cypriot, woe be tide them, becuase I will not be a happy bunny no matter who they are, how long they've been here or however long they've been driving

I also think we should be setting a example to the Cypriots on how to drive, not falling into their stupid, hazardous, pathetic, dangerous ways of driving

Rant over