Casselman said the public is beginning to understand, as a result of the Walkerton poison water tragedy, why certain services should remain public rather than be farmed out to the private sector. Casselman said Bill 137 would permit all aspects of road safety to be privatized in Ontario - including driver testing, and all highway inspection, investigation and enforcement. Although the government has already called for companies to express interest in taking over driver examinations, she said the province should take a good look at how such initiatives have worked elsewhere, she said. Dangerous drivers are another problem, she noted. In Alberta, the association representing private driver examiners is worried that unscrupulous examiners are finding ways around the testing guidelines.
Tests are too short to assess a driver s abilities.
An association spokesperson even suggested that other provinces might not recognize Alberta licences, so that if you moved from Alberta you would have to be re-tested. Casselman said problems have also occurred in Virginia where reports indicate that unqualified drivers are receiving licences and that testing standards are not consistent or uniform across the state. Look at the record.