Learner drivers struggling to secure a practical lesson at Bukit Batok Driving Centre (BBDC) now have another option, provided they are willing to pay more.
BBDC has opened limited additional Class 3 and 3A practical lessons on Saturday and Sunday evenings, according to The Straits Times.
Each 100-minute lesson costs S$135.16, compared with S$86.11 for a regular peak-hour session.
Two Additional Sessions on Weekend Evenings
The additional lessons are offered during these periods:
- 5:10pm to 6:50pm
- 7:20pm to 9pm
BBDC’s published timetable ordinarily ends weekend practical lessons at 3pm. The additional sessions therefore extend training into the evening.
The slots cover both Class 3 manual and Class 3A automatic lessons, but their availability depends on whether instructors are available.
BBDC told ST that the surcharge is meant to compensate instructors for working additional hours.
Each Lesson Costs About 57% More
A normal BBDC peak-hour practical lesson costs S$86.11, including GST.
The additional weekend lesson costs S$135.16, which is S$49.05 more after GST. This corresponds to a S$45 surcharge before GST.
That makes the additional weekend session about 57% more expensive than an existing peak-hour lesson.
However, learners are not guaranteed a slot simply because they are prepared to pay the higher fee.
Learners Must Join a Waiting List and Call on Friday
According to a BBDC customer service officer who spoke to ST, learners must first place their names on a waiting list.
They must then call BBDC on Friday morning to ask whether any sessions are available for that weekend. Openings are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.
More than 100 learners were on the waiting list as at 11 August, while only about 15 to 20 additional sessions were being made available each weekend, the officer said.
In other words, even the premium option may require some Friday-morning phone camping.
Some Learners Are Waiting Months for Their First Lesson
The additional sessions are intended to reduce waiting times for learners who want to obtain their licences sooner, the BBDC officer told ST.
One learner interviewed by the newspaper said she enrolled for Class 3A lessons in July 2026, but the earliest standard practical session she could secure was in February 2027.
BBDC’s online enrolment page similarly warned prospective learners, as at 11 August, that the earliest practical lesson available for booking was approximately seven months away. It advised school learners to reserve 20 automatic or 22 manual lessons in advance after enrolling.
The weekend sessions offer a possible shortcut, but with more than 100 people reportedly competing for fewer than two dozen places each week, learners may still need both money and luck.
