City hall plans to take some control over where student drivers can be trained as part of changes to its business licensing bylaw.
Public and industry consultation will take place before regulations are established for a new driver instructor licence category in the bylaw, which was unanimously approved by council Monday.
Residents have expressed safety concerns about driving instructors and their students routinely practising and training in residential areas, a city staff report said. Most of these concerns are from residents living on streets used by the Ministry of Transportation for road tests as part of the MTO’s driver licence examination program.
Coun. Bob Bell questioned having driving instructors use the same routes used by MTO examiners.
Coun. June Hofland said she hears regularly from constituents about the issue. “It causes residents a lot of stress,” she said. “So this hopefully will give us some leverage.”
City staff believe that when and where driver training is done and how often it takes place on any given street can influence traffic safety and “the well-being of a neighbourhood,” the staff report said.
Some other municipalities currently regulate which streets can be used for driver training, it said.