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Brussels to no longer allow use of interpreter during driving exam
Belgium
23:06 14/11/2016
Participants hoping to pass the driving license theory test in Brussels will soon no longer be allowed to bring along an interpreter to the exam, says Brussels minister for road safety Bianca Debaets in La Libre Belgique. Last year 2,113 people made use of an interpreter for this purpose.
In an effort to combat cheating on the theory test, a new automatic translation system will be introduced in the course of 2017. Exam participants with insufficient knowledge of Dutch or French will be aided by a computerised translation of the questions, with audio recordings provided in English, German, Spanish, Polish, Turkish, Arabic or Italian, the most widely spoken languages in the capital.
Comments
If their French or Dutch isn't good enough to read the exam questions, how will they manage road signs that under (Belgian) law are only in the (official) language of the province?
@ANON2
It is quite common to drive in foreign countries without speaking the language. Never rented a car on holidays? Most of the signs require "knowing" not reading.
Anon2 - Road signs mostly don't have writing on them. That's why they're called "signs".
On motorways, hopefully. But not necessarily on provincial back-roads.
Gevaar. Langzaam rijden. Stoplicht. Voorrang van rechts voor fietsers
I think as long as, translation is possible should be fine for written exam. However, few Translator will lose their income. There was no option of cheating actually. At least the center I know, the English version was being read centrally by a translator for the group appearing in English and they had to pay extra for this. So its not that Govt was paying for it.
@Anon2- all over the world its called "Traffic Sign" :) even if local authority things they should write something in local word, they should still use a sign; it's their wrong understanding if they are not doing so. However, few of those words people would learn eventually. As an example in German Motorway you might have seen many signs with a time limit or so unusual than Belgium. A regular traveler would learn it. That does not mean, everyone on earth need to learn German to drive there. We should try to be open minded to diversity.