The Ministry of Transport in Malaysia has initiated a pioneering project to automate the driving license testing process, known as ‘eTesting’.
This would allow candidates to take their driving tests without the presence of a Road Transport Department (JPJ) officer in the vehicle. Candidates will need to drive alone during the examination, without an examiner in the passenger’s seat.
Officials will monitor from a control room, remotely overseeing the performance of the electronic testing equipment and evaluating the candidates’ performance.
Whether a candidate passes or fails is determined by advanced tracking devices and cameras, with results generated in real time, thereby enhancing the integrity of the assessment process.
The electronic testing is currently conducted only within the confines of the driving test course and does not include on-the-road tests; the test area is fully equipped with CCTV, and the test vehicles are fitted with sensors on their roofs.
The electronic vehicle testing system will officially start in April at one driving school in each of Selangor, Johor and Penang, and will only be fully implemented by 2030.
The schools that allow digital tests include IM Surfine Hitech in Hulu Langat, Berjaya Driving Training Centre in Ulu Tiram and the Five Star Eternal Institute in Penang.
For the implementation of this system, driving institutes may charge a maximum fee of RM100. However, candidates opting for the eTesting method will enjoy several benefits, including the opportunity to retake failed components of the test on the same day at no extra cost.
eTesting candidates will also be given priority in the test booking list and receive an RM10 rebate for their provisional driving license issuance.
According to Berita Harian, the minister said that candidates can initially choose between the manual testing method and eTesting in a press conference at Surfine Hitech Driving Institute in Hulu Langat, where the eTesting initiative is being implemented.
Loke further explained that the eTesting system allows for a higher number of candidates to be tested per day compared to the current system which could only support around 150 candidates per day.
Additionally, the number of JPJ evaluators required at each driving institute could be reduced from six to two.
The system aims to improve the integrity and issuance of driving licenses, simplify the auditing process, and enable electronic monitoring of test activities.
The minister encouraged all driving institutes to adopt the eTesting-based driving test method, stating that a six-year period has been allocated for the transition from manual testing methods to eTesting.
Driving institutes can choose from approved eTesting service providers, which currently include Bestari Testing Company Sdn Bhd, TBS Solutions Sdn Bhd, and KOPIMA Technology Sdn Bhd, as selected by the eTesting Project Evaluation Committee.
Three additional eTesting service providers are currently under evaluation and will be announced soon.
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