Private Business Under Threat
Belarus hikes driver training costs under Lukashenko's stricter 2026 rules
A few days ago, dictator Alexander Lukashenko inspected DOSAAF, the state-run defense and technical training organization. He ordered its structure preserved at all costs, reminiscing about his own days as a student at its driving school, and demanded stricter driver training standards. Road safety, he insisted, must come first—and people will thank him later, reports Solidarity.
On paper, it all sounds reasonable. But given Belarus's realities, there's a growing sense that something far bigger is looming. Let's call it not a "crackdown," but rather a market shake-up.
Because driving schools aren't just about training quality—they're about money. And Lukashenko, ever the feudal lord over his domain, has a habit of keeping businesses under tight control.
Consider this: Training for a standard Category B driver's license currently costs between 1,400 and 2,500 rubles on average (DOSAAF schools charge 2,100 rubles right now), assuming no extra lessons or retests are needed.
With stricter training requirements set to take effect in 2026, prices are expected to rise. Minsk and its surrounding region alone have over 110 driving schools, with more than 300 across Belarus—each enrolling multiple groups per year. Consolidating the market in DOSAAF's favor would make for some very profitable arithmetic.
The groundwork for a mass purge of private driving schools is already laid. Back in February, traffic police conducted a monitoring sweep of driving instruction and uncovered nearly 200 violations by instructors alone, with promises of further inspections. And where law enforcement scrutiny intensifies, fines and shutdowns soon follow.
One can only hope this fear is misplaced. But as we know all too well, Lukashenko's orders—no matter how absurd—are carried out swiftly and without question.
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