Learner drivers in Rome area will now have to sit their driving test at one of the three offices of the vehicle licensing department (Motorizzazione) instead of their local driving schools, resulting in an overall congestion of the system.

Driving schools and aspirant drivers have united in a series of protest marches to express their dissatisfaction with the measure.

These changes are due to the budget cuts at the ministry of transport which have resulted in examiners of the vehicle licensing department not being paid overtime for afternoon shifts, in which they formerly conducted both practical and theory tests. In protest they have stopped going to the driving schools to test learner drivers and the authorised motorizzazione offices cannot cope with the influx of applications arriving from both Rome and surrounding areas.

Normally an average of 1,000 people a month would sit their test at one of the local driving schools, but now learner drivers are having to wait about three months before sitting the test at one of the offices, the Rome-Salaria, Rome-Laurentina or Rome-Casilina. People living out of Rome also have no choice but to come into the city to sit their driving tests.

Only two people a day are currently being accepted for the practical part of the exam and a maximum of five people a day for the theory.