The representatives of driving schools talk about possible bankruptcies

Due to the number of social restrictions, caused by the epidemic, Russian driving schools were one step away from the bankruptcies. Now the main question for them is whether the driving schools will be allowed to work in a self-isolation period?

Given that the prevalence of the disease is not the same in different regions, the schools representatives hope for the local governments’ decisions. Otherwise, according to the experts, the driver training centers will be in a state of collapse after the lifting of restrictive measures.

The difficult situation of driving schools is also connected with the fact that the market participants cannot get the state support. The National Union of Driving Schools is sounding the alarm, pointing to the forced standing idle of the training center.

The driving schools would like to work like other educational institutions in the country, but they cannot, because the most of them are not the small businesses in terms of legal logic.

Being the non-profit organizations (NPOs), as it defined by the law on education, driving schools cannot hope to use the government support measures. At the same time, nobody has canceled the rental payments, fees for the operation of motor racing tracks, the tax payments and the replenishment of the wage fund. The appeal to the head of the Cabinet of Ministers and the business ombudsman remains unanswered, while the work of schools is hindered.

In some regions, the special requirements under which the driving schools could continue working, observing special protective and preventive measures, are being actively developed.

In the Arkhangelsk region, it is proposed to study theoretical material remotely, and organize practical classes taking the precautions into account (masks, gloves, temperature measurements of instructors and students) according to the special schedule.

While the driving schools negotiate with the regional authorities, the representatives of the traffic police structures, involved in examinations, are waiting for the same go - ahead. On April 13, the Major General Oleg Ponaryin, deputy chief of the State Traffic Safety Inspectorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation, stated that the examinations for the future drivers were not terminated, but were temporarily suspended. The Ministry of Internal Affairs understands that if the reception is completely stopped, in the future the police will face such an influx of people, willing to get the driving license, that it will be impossible for the police to handle the situation.

According to statistics in Russia, about 7.6 million citizens pass the exams for obtaining a driving license annually. About 1.4 million of them obtain a driver’s license. The representatives of driving schools admit that if they are not allowed to carry out the training in the nearest future or are not supported financially, many of them will have to study the bankruptcy law instead of the road traffic regulations.