Manitoba revamps Driver Z registration process after gridlock from long lineups

ManitobaManitoba Public Insurance is making a wholesale change to how it registers high school students for its driver education program, Driver Z.Province scraps first-come, first-served method for registeringCBC News · Posted: Dec 08, 2025 1:34 PM EST | Last Updated: 2 hours agoListen to this articleEstimated 2 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated by text-to-speech, a technology based on artificial intelligence.Starting in spring, Manitoba high school students who want to take the Driver Z training will no longer need to wait in long lines at MPI service centres. Instead, after signing up as a new MPI customer and buying the service, they will get emails for the day of their registration window. (Maggie MacPherson/CBC)Manitoba Public Insurance is making a wholesale change to how it registers high school students for its driver education program, Driver Z.It’s abandoning the first-come, first-served method that led to enormous lineups as registration for all courses opened on the same day and people clamored to lock up one of the limited spots.Starting in spring, MPI will offer a multi-day registration window and time slots based on age, with older students being placed in the earlier registration windows, said a news release from the provincial Crown corporation.Driver Z uses a mix of in-person, online and in-car learning. The course is available to students for $50, while MPI covers the rest of the cost, which is well over $600, the release said. To be eligible for registration, students must first sign up as new MPI customers and then purchase the Driver Z program at an MPI service centre or broker by end-of-day on Jan. 3.Those two steps require both the student and parent or guardian to attend in person. Both can be completed in a single visit.From January 5-24, students will start getting emails notifying them of their registration window and directions on how to complete their enrolment.MPI anticipates more than 2,700 spots will be available across Manitoba in spring. The locations and availability of courses will be updated MPI’s website on Dec. 12, so students can determine which is best for them, the release said.