Driving centres in Singapore hike learner fees in 2026

At BBDC, which will be replaced by a

by December 2030, peak-period practical lessons for motorcycles with engines exceeding 400cc now cost $47.96 for a 100-minute session, up 10 per cent from $43.60.

CDC and SSDC announced their 2026 fees in November 2025, while BBDC published its 2026 prices on Dec 24, 2025.

In response to The Straits Times, CDC’s spokesperson said the adjustments are to support salary revisions for its instructors so that their wages would be market-competitive, manage rising costs and fund technological initiatives that help student learning.

SSDC’s spokesperson said the new prices were “implemented to ensure business continuity and to allow us to provide even better services to our customers”.

BBDC did not respond by publication time.

Some learners said they have no choice but to stomach the higher costs.

Since November, Mr Javion Lim, 18, has taken three practical driving lessons at SSDC and has another 12 or so lessons to go. The Temasek Polytechnic student said: “It’s quite annoying. Even though the increase is not a lot, I still have many lessons to go and the cost will really add up.”

Mr Lim pays an additional $10 to $15 per session to “campers” to get his lesson slots. These are individuals or automated bots that snatch the slots the moment the driving centres release them.

He resorted to this approach when he found that it was nearly impossible to book directly as slots are taken up almost instantly upon release.

ST reported in May 2025 that learners

, or paying someone on local online marketplace Carousell to secure lessons, so as not to prolong the time needed to get their licences.

The driving centres attributed the long wait for lessons to a shortage of instructors. It was reported in April 2024 that the three centres have around 700 instructors, down from 845 in 2022.

The centres acknowledged the booking issue and have implemented policies like suspending accounts found to have used bots or computer programme scripts to secure slots.

To avoid resorting to unofficial methods, Ms Claire Ho, 18, opts for CDC’s premium coaching schemes. In return for paying up to $16.35 more than standard driving lessons, the schemes offer benefits including a dedicated team of trainers and the same training car for every session.

The Temasek Polytechnic student said, with this service, she has bagged nine slots for January and February, ahead of her driving test.

Others, like Mr Reyes Teo, have turned to private driving instructors. The 27-year-old marketing executive engaged such a person after he found in June 2025 that he had to wait six months to get his first practical lesson at CDC.

While a 100-minute practical driving session at CDC costs up to $89.38, Mr Teo pays his instructor $65 per hour, or $115, if the lesson uses the driving centre’s circuit. On the rising costs, Mr Teo said: “Lessons are already expensive as it is. It is as if the system doesn’t want more drivers on the road.”

The Traffic Police, which has stopped issuing new private driving instructor licences since 1987 as part of Singapore’s drive to professionalise driver education, said there were

.