Of this total, the majority (12,881) are driving tests and 2,333 are theory tests. According to statistics on the IMT website, there are those who have been waiting months or even years: 4,723 have been waiting for more than three months, and 105 for more than four years.

But what has caused this situation? According to JN, this is down to a "brutal lack" of examiners and instructors, explain the Automóvel Clube de Portugal (ACP) and the Portuguese Association of Driving Schools (APEC).

To JN, the IMT confirmed the delays in the theory and practical exams, both in its centers and in the private ones, which result, in part, from the measures applied during the pandemic. In municipalities where the supply of centers is reduced or exclusive to the IMT, "there is an additional constraint on the supply capacity", states the institute. To try to rectify this problem, the IMT has reinforced local teams with the relocation of examiners from other districts and new professionals are being trained.