Driving school fees to grow by $150-200

The Ministry of Transport has proposed to abolish the fixed driving school fees. The proposal has already received a preliminary backing at the ministries, the Council of Ministers and the Office of the President. Uladzimir Barbuk, director of the Jockey driving school, says that the feet will be raised by Br300-400,000.

According to Babruk, the money currently charged by driving schools would be enough in rural areas but not in the capital.

“For this money we are getting now I would have no problem working in a district center. In rural driving schools, drivers get Br400,000. I would be paying him Br500-600,000, and I would still have enough remaining to maintain vehicles and classrooms. In Minsk, people don’t work for this money, because it is impossible to survive with this money in the capital”.

Pavel Bazhanau, the head of transport safety and licenses at the Ministry of Transport, said that one third of driving schools have zero profits. The remaining schools are close to the same. Uladzimir Barbuk maintains that this is not exactly true, but the situation should be resolved. He calculated together with his accountant how much driving schools should charge in order to be in the black.

“Today, the fees are Br600,000. I would raise the fees up to at least Br900,000. Other school will raise up to Br1,000,000. I will keep Br900,000 in order to keep customers coming in," Babruk says.