Will the GKI renewal exam be discontinued?

No decision has been taken yet on whether the GKI renewal exam will be abolished in Hungary!

But discussions are ongoing with the Ministry of Innovation and Technology – hope is still alive.

The material is outdated, the test is expensive, and the driver shortage is greatly affected!

The Hungarian hauliers’ organisations (besides MKFE, NIT Hungary, TESZ and FUVOSZ) are lobbying for the abolition of this examination requirement. Earlier this year, the four organisations again jointly called on the Ministry of Innovation and Technology to abolish the exam after the refresher training.

Indeed, the organisations have been in discussions with the ITM; in addition to the phasing out of the post-CKI refresher training exams, the truck stop provisions are being made more flexible and the rules on gross vehicle weight and axle weight measurements are being reviewed. Let’s hope the change at the top of the Ministry does not affect

On the specific issue of the GKI renewal test, Mr Árvay said:

What we can say is that the ministry has the intention to phase out the exam, but we cannot give a concrete date until these discussions – which also include how and under what conditions the refresher training itself will take place after the phase-out of the exam – are completed.”

MKFE and NIT Hungary are of the opinion that the GKI re-exam contributes to the high number of drop-outs in the profession and that the older generation who have already left the profession are difficult or impossible to lure back. Some of the curriculum is outdated!

“The road transport services sector is facing an increasingly severe labour shortage, with the number of drivers steadily decreasing. The situation is further aggravated by the fact that about 40 percent of the active drivers employed by Hungarian companies (~30,000) are over 50 years old, 12 percent of them 60+. A very large number of this age group declare that they do not wish to renew their expiring GKI card because of the current compulsory examinations in Hungary, and leave the profession despite the fact that they would actually continue in the profession for many years to come.”

“we should not be dealing with issues of techniques from 20 years ago, but with the active driver assistance systems available in modern vehicles today and the driving techniques to be learned to make the training meaningful”.

“Drivers who have been behind the wheel for 30-40 years do not need reinforcement of outdated knowledge, but up-to-date information would ensure that drivers really want to know it and not just study for a compulsory test.  If the course material is useful, there should be no exam at the end, as it will be in the driver’s (and his employer’s) interest to attend the training and to absorb the knowledge.”

The GKI exam is compulsory for truck and bus drivers throughout Europe, and only those who complete the training and pass the exam can work in the profession.

Likewise, the GKI refresher course is mandatory across Europe as it is an EU requirement. But the exam is not. The EU (Directive 2003/59/EC) does not require an exam, it is left to the Member States.

Of the 26 EU Member States, apart from Hungary, only Bulgaria, Estonia and Romania, to our knowledge, have made the exam compulsory. Nor do the Germans, Austrians or Poland, which is also a major competitor, impose this burden on drivers. Drivers simply attend a refresher course and then receive their GKI card.”

The majority of colleagues see this system as discrimination! No other profession has such a compulsory refresher test, and yet driving is not even a profession!