Transport Ministry delays ending the internal driving test at the last minute

Israel's Transportation Ministry has decided not to implement, for now, the cancellation of the internal driving test, even though the change was due to take effect on June 18. The announcement came only a day before the planned start date, after reports that the move would likely be postponed.

The internal test is the final step before the state's official road test. In it, a student is assessed by the professional manager of the driving school, who decides whether the student is ready for the external exam. Students and parents have criticized the test because it costs 150 to 250 shekels and, they say, lengthens the process and raises the overall expense of learning to drive.

Driving instructors, however, argue that the test is a useful professional tool because it lets a student be evaluated by someone other than their regular teacher and identifies areas needing improvement. They say the fee is only a small part of total driving lessons, estimated at 5,000 to 10,000 shekels, and can prevent students from being sent too early to the more expensive official test.

In April, the ministry said Transportation Minister Miri Regev had ordered the internal test abolished after an internal review concluded it was not necessary, but the supporting work was not made public. Driving instructors then opposed the move and, through attorney Ilan Bombach, asked the ministry to stop the cancellation, saying they never received a response. The ministry had already removed the option to schedule internal tests in its Braosh system weeks ago. The issue comes as road fatalities among young drivers remain high, with 32 killed since the start of 2026, compared with 62 in all of 2025 and 65 in 2024. In response to the delay, a driving instructor leading the protest said, “This is not relief for students, but a dangerous political spin that abandons road safety and empties the profession of all meaning.” The ministry said it was postponing the change after receiving many substantive comments during the public hearing, and that a new date will be set only after reviewing all public and professional feedback.