- Iași residents wait months to take driving exams, with disabled applicants extra obstacles.
- Only two Iași driving schools offer disability facilities: Amigo Art Iași and Titi Bas.
- Most schools lack adapted vehicles, limiting training options for people with disabilities.
- Vehicle adaptations include automatic, manual brake/accelerator, steering-clutch, installed by three RAR-recognized companies.
The process of obtaining a driver’s license represents a significant challenge for residents of Iași, who often have to wait months to sit for exams. The situation becomes even more complicated for people with disabilities, who face additional obstacles—from finding a suitable driving school to acquiring and homologating an adapted vehicle.
Lack of Adapted Driving Schools in Iași
People with disabilities in Iași face major difficulties identifying driving schools that have adapted vehicles for their training. Unlike non-disabled candidates, who have access to hundreds of school vehicles in the city, they have only a few limited options.
Ciprian Vizitiu, an Iași resident who obtained his license in 2007, emphasizes that “a person with disabilities is not in any way favored; they are viewed exactly as an ordinary person when it comes to obtaining a driver’s license”.
From the investigation conducted, most driving schools in Iași do not offer services for people with disabilities:
- Tody Family: Does not have adapted cars, and the procedure to use the student’s personal vehicle is complicated, requiring temporary transfer of ownership to the school
- Autozet: Offers only standard automatic transmission cars, without special adaptations
- Auto Criss: Has no adapted vehicles, citing legislation that requires cars to be owned by the school
Throughout the Iași municipality, only two driving schools offer facilities for people with disabilities: Amigo Art Iași and Titi Bas, which own specially adapted vehicles.
Types of Available Vehicle Adaptations
Vehicles intended for people with disabilities require specific technical modifications, depending on the nature and degree of the disability. Ciprian Vizitiu explains the different solutions available:
Adaptations for Simple Automatic Transmission
This option is suitable for people who can use the right leg but have difficulty with the left leg. The car features a standard automatic transmission, eliminating the need to operate a clutch.
Manual Brake and Accelerator Control
For people immobilized in a wheelchair or who cannot use their legs at all, a secondary lever is installed connected to the brake and accelerator pedals. The system works as follows:
- Pushing the lever forward activates the brake
- Pulling the lever backward operates the accelerator
This system allows the same vehicle to be driven by both people with disabilities and able-bodied drivers, making it ideal for driving schools.
Adaptations for Manual Transmission
The most complex option includes also adapting the clutch with a special arm mounted on the steering column. Although this solution provides full control over the vehicle, it is harder to maneuver, which is why most people prefer the automatic transmission with manual control.
Registration and Certification Process
In Romania there are only three specialized companies recognized by the RAR for installing vehicle adaptations: in Sovata, Bucharest, and Giurgiu. This means that Iași residents with disabilities must travel to these localities to adapt their vehicles.
After installing the adaptations, owners are required to:
- Present the vehicle to RAR for homologation
- Register the modifications in the vehicle’s technical documentation
- Update the vehicle registration certificate with the note of installed adaptations
These administrative procedures add time and costs to the process of obtaining the license.
The Option to Use a Personal Vehicle
Romanian legislation allows people with disabilities to take driving school courses in their own vehicle, provided certain requirements are met:
- The vehicle must be registered in Romania
- The car must be equipped with dual controls for the instructor
- A contract with an authorized driving school is concluded
However, this option comes with financial risks. If the person does not pass the exam on the first attempts, they are left with an inactive vehicle for which they must pay tax and insurance, without being able to drive legally on public roads.
Challenges and Additional Costs
People with disabilities in Iași who want to obtain a driving license face:
- High costs: The purchase of an adapted vehicle, homologation fees, insurances, and taxes
- Extended time: Travel to adaptation centers, waiting for homologation, limited schedules at adapted schools
- Limited options: Only two driving schools in the city offer adapted services
- Psychological pressure: The risk of ending up with an unusable vehicle if the exam is not passed
The situation highlights the need for better infrastructure for people with disabilities who want to become drivers, including more schools equipped accordingly and more geographically accessible adaptation centers.
