Can an A1 driver's license be obtained directly?
2 Answers
A1 driver's license cannot be obtained directly. Below are two methods to obtain an A1 driver's license: 1. If you have held a driving license for A3 city buses, B1 medium-sized passenger vehicles, or B2 large trucks for more than five years, and have not accumulated 12 penalty points in the current scoring cycle and the five consecutive scoring cycles prior to the application, you can apply for an A1 driver's license. 2. If you have held a driving license for A2 tractor-trailers for more than two years, and have not accumulated 12 penalty points in the most recent scoring cycle prior to the application, you can apply for an A1 driver's license. Additional information: The vehicle types permitted by an A1 driver's license include buses that can carry more than 20 passengers, as well as passenger vehicles with a body length exceeding 6 meters, which also require an A1 license. Other vehicle types permitted by an A1 license include: A3 (city buses), B1 (medium-sized passenger vehicles), B2 (large trucks), C1 (small cars), C2 (small automatic transmission cars), C3 (low-speed cargo vehicles), C4 (three-wheeled cars), M (wheeled self-propelled machinery vehicles).
I just got my C1 driver's license recently, and driving a car is quite exciting. But a friend asked if it's possible to directly take the A1 test to drive large buses, and the answer is no. You need to first obtain a B1 or B2 license and drive for two to three years, and you must also be at least 26 years old. I've looked into it—this is called 'license upgrading,' and you have to retake all four driving tests, especially the reverse parking and hill start, which are much harder than for cars. Large buses are more complex to operate, carry more passengers, and pose higher safety risks, so the regulations require drivers to accumulate experience before taking the test. New drivers jumping straight to large buses could easily cause accidents. My advice is to start by driving cars steadily to gain experience and not rush into upgrading. Also, regularly check the driving test rules to avoid wasting money and time.
