Man attempts to bribe his way through theory test

The Regional Road digital board is probably the only one on the island. Drive abroad and you will come across hundreds of them. You can't drive on their roads if you're illiterate and unable to read the warnings writen on them. You will be a hazard to yourself and to others. In EU countries, you will not get a driving licence if you are illiterate and unable to read the digital boards signs. We are probably the only EU country that does issue driving licences to illiterates. I can't imagine an illiterate Maltese (with a Maltese driving licence) driving safely on an autostrada. Can you? According to some of the muddled arguments being put forward it seems ok if you're illiterate and drive on the roads in Malta - our roads are safe enough!

I'm doing my best not to be condescending towards a 19-year-old who is still illiterate in 2009, after 13 years of obligatory schooling.

Have you ever seen those digital panels they sometimes put up instead of temporary signs? There's one by the Regional Road roundabout. Can you please explain how this person is supposed to read those instructions and prevent an accident?

The Theory Test is a test to be carried out in order to be able to drive in the Maltese Roads abiding to the laws as instructed in the Roads by Signs. Thus, I believe that if a person is not able to read and write (which in my opinion is difficult) should be either assisted by a person in the examination centre but depending on the case if a person does not recognises the signs...well...i believe that s/he is not fit to drive in our roads for our safety's sake

I know a person who is a fantastic driver, responsable and I would trust myself and even my dearest family to ride with him.Unfortunately he is an illitirate person, why shouldnt he have a licence?

@Aimee Fenech:
Have you ever considered how long children take to start reading properly? Be aware that courses are not magic! It takes a long time for a five year old to start reading properly, let alone an adult.

Reading and writing involves manipulating symbols mentally. That ability is at its peak from around 4 years to 7 years. Adults are well beyond that age. If you don't believe me, try teaching an adult and a child to read and write and see who makes the biggest progress.

Pretending that everybody should be able to read and write, especially a foreign language, amounts to an injustice. As I said, everybody without exception has the right to drive. Thus, the driving test has to be accessible to all.

Driving test should cater for everybody. It is a mistake, at least in my opinion and, I hope readers of this thread acknowledge me the right for expressing an opinion, that not all exams are there to test for academic ability. Everyone, provided one is fully aware of one's responsabilities, has the right to drive a vehicle. That means, that driving exams must cater for everybody without exception. Regarding the reading of road signs, one can memorize them. It is a fact, illerate people develop their memory differently.

What this guy deserves is public ridicule. As to better driving: (1) a renewal test or mandatory update course every so many years; and (2) teaching "extreme" driving - not to have idiots backtailing on the streets, but because leaving drivers to tackle tricky circumstances with nothing but the break+clutch in a straight line test is plain irresponsible. Sure, the manual mentions steering into the slide, lower gears when the breaks go, the different handling of a car with no ABS, higher gears on ice... but tell me, who ever gets it right the first time? And what if there is no second time? Emergency manoeuvres should be practiced in a controlled environment. Sure, the British system on which Malta is modelled is extremely successful, but maybe we should look beyond - take Finland for example: kids start learning how to drive much earlier (it's easier to learn car control at a younger age), they have to do at least 3 years of lessons, including many on a skidpad and many others in the dark. Would it be such a bad idea to have a 2nd advanced test after a few years? And maybe no granny-drivers?

This person should be disciplined of course I hope this has been done already.

Nowhere in the article does it say that the 19 year old couldn't read and write, I sure he just wanted to take the easy way out.

Nowhere in the article did it specify if an investigation is being done to see if there were any other corruption cases, I hope the court did take consideration that this might not be just a single case.

Illiterate persons should be encouraged to learn, not being able to get a driving licence can be brilliant motivation to start learning today. Local councils where illiteracy is know to be a problem should run free courses for anyone who would like to learn, it is never too late to do so...

@Edward Bartolo

Granted, I fully understand your argument, and it might have been the case with this man.. I hope the Court went deeper into the merits of this case, in order to draw lessons from it in terms of whether or not our tests are accessible to everyone.

Could applicants for the theory test be assisted with particular areas of the test that do not have a bearing on whether or not they can drive safely?

@ Messers. Mifsud and Bartolo: Spot on, both of you. But then, no wonder we have so many troglodytes on our roads, driving cars. Cavemen, whatever. We are here talking of a 19 yr old. If he doesn't know how to read or write, he should first go back to school - driven!

Perhaps it is time the ADT issued a CD or even a set of voice MP3 recordings which one could listen to whilst referring to the book ? All that would be needed is some sort of simple cross reference. This should surely solve the problem for illiterate persons because they could listen to the explanations instead of reading them. Besides, this recording would only have to be prepared once and it could even be distributed online for free.

@ Edward Bartolo
How do you expect some one who is illiterate to be able to read road signs correctly??!! And one must read the Highway Code in order to drive safely - not that many people do, I'm sure. But then again, maybe that's why we have so many accidents on our roads...!!!!

At last malta is begining to wake up to reality and fall inline with the rest of us. 2009 proves to be the way forward for the Maltese who are one of the worst drivers i have ever come across but nevertheless an improvement on the whole and i congratulate the authorities the Maltese ADT and the driving examiners this will not even cut down the amount of bad driving on your narrow small rough roads but also cut down premature deaths and at least it would make us tourists safer when visitng and driving in Malta and Gozo. A big well done to the ADT.

A 19 year old who can't read and write in 2009! Incredible.

I agree Edward Bartolo however there is always help from others. When i was doing the theory test myself there was actually one of the workers there reading the questions out to the person doing the exams if i was not mistaken. There is surely something in place for them.

@Vanessa Mifsud:
"all you need to do is actually read the book!"

First, you have to be literate. Some people cannot read and write, and any written test, is a real nightmare for them. Ask them to drive during rush hours: that is not a problem for them, but reading and writing is.

Please don't tell me that there are people who actually do this? The theory test is one of the easiest things one can ever do! Most of it is common sense and the rest,all you need to do is actually read the book!

and is this individual also allowed to sit for his driving test again immediately?!? Should he not be banned from sitting for his test for at least 2 years, to teach him a lesson?

And those are the people who you meet on the road every day how many more gotaway with it?

The pathetic side to this story is that this poor soul had to bribe someone to pass his theory test which is undoubtedly the easiest test of common sense ever written. I'm quite ashamed.

Shouldn't we know who accepted the money ? and charges laid ?