Romania Senate approves new driving exam maneuvers

The Romanian Senate has passed a draft law to modify the practical driving exam for category B licenses. Candidates will now be required to perform four specific maneuvers during their driving test on public roads: reversing, turning in limited space, parking, and stopping. While an initial proposal included a separate technical test in a closed polygon, this was removed due to infrastructure concerns; the maneuvers will instead be integrated into the standard traffic test. The bill now moves to the Chamber of Deputies for a final decision.

In related regulatory news, driving license fees are set to increase on September 15, 2026. The cost for a driving license will rise from 89 to 139 lei, while registration certificates and provisional authorizations will also see price hikes. Additionally, drivers performing paid international road transport with category B or BE licenses must obtain a professional training certificate by January 1, 2027.

Authorities are also increasing enforcement and safety measures. On the A0 South Bucharest Ring Road, recent inspections resulted in 56 sanctions totaling 589,000 lei due to overweight vehicles. Meanwhile, CNAIR has deployed 'educational radars' in nearly 150 locations. These devices display speed and visual feedback (green smiling faces for compliance or red frowning faces for speeding) to encourage safer driving without issuing automatic fines.