Nanaimo Driving School Ltd — Three Instructors, One Family Operation
705 Comox Rd, Nanaimo · City-licensed since 2009 · 4.9/5 rating · Class 5 & Class 7
🗣️ Punjabi / Hindi / Urdu
📅 Open 7 Days
🚛 Beyond Class 5/7
This is a family-run operation — three ICBC-certified instructors, Sohan Sharma, Tessie Sharma, and Amandeep Kaur, each with their own direct phone line, which is unusual among the schools we’ve profiled and suggests a genuinely personal, not call-centre-routed, booking experience. Sohan and Tessie both come up specifically and repeatedly in independent reviews, each described in very similar terms: patient, communicative, and effective at putting nervous or first-time drivers at ease.
One detail worth being upfront about: marketing material describes the school as operating “since 1998,” but the City of Nanaimo’s business licence for the current registration at 705 Comox Rd shows approval in January 2009. That could reflect a re-registration, an ownership change, or just loose marketing copy — either way, a City-verified license going back to 2009 still makes this a well-established operation, not a new one, even if the exact “since 1998” framing isn’t independently confirmed.
What Nanaimo Driving School Actually Offers
Class 5 & Class 7 Instruction
Standard learner and full-licence instruction, taught in dual-control vehicles with both city and highway driving practice.
Beyond Passenger Cars
The school’s own materials mention instruction for heavy vehicles, tractors, taxis, and even emergency vehicles — a much broader scope than the standard Class 5/7 focus most schools on our lists stick to. Confirm exactly which licence classes this covers directly, since it isn’t broken out in detail publicly.
Multilingual Instruction
The school specifically welcomes Punjabi, Hindi, and Urdu-speaking students — genuinely useful for Nanaimo families more comfortable learning outside of English.
💡 Three instructors, three direct lines
Rather than one central booking number, each instructor has their own phone line: Sohan Sharma, Tessie Sharma, and Amandeep Kaur. If reviews for one instructor resonate with you more than another, you can likely request them directly when booking rather than being assigned whoever’s available.
What the Reviews Actually Show
With a 4.9/5 rating and specific, independently-sourced feedback on two of the three instructors, some patterns hold up:
- Sohan is described as patient, detail-oriented, and confidence-building, with at least one reviewer specifically noting he put a genuinely terrified first-time student completely at ease.
- Tessie is described in very similar terms — kind when correcting mistakes, thorough with test prep, and good at helping students actually see their own progress rather than just delivering generic praise.
- Cost comes up specifically as a strength, with multiple sources describing the pricing as reasonable or affordable, though exact package prices aren’t published anywhere we checked.
- We found no independent reviews specifically naming Amandeep Kaur — she’s listed as an ICBC-certified instructor on the school’s own site, but we couldn’t independently verify the same kind of specific, repeated praise the other two have. That’s not a red flag, just a smaller public sample for her specifically.
By the Numbers
Common Questions
Can I request a specific instructor?
Since each of the three instructors has their own direct phone line, it’s reasonable to ask for Sohan, Tessie, or Amandeep specifically when you call to book, rather than being assigned automatically.
Does this school really teach heavy vehicles and taxis?
The school’s own materials mention instruction beyond standard passenger vehicles, including heavy vehicles, tractors, taxis, and emergency vehicles. We couldn’t independently verify the specifics of how this is structured or which licence classes are involved, so ask directly if this is what you’re looking for.
How much does it cost?
Specific package pricing isn’t published anywhere we checked, though multiple independent sources describe the cost as reasonable or affordable. Contact the school directly — using one of the three instructors’ direct lines — for a current quote.
Can I take lessons in Punjabi, Hindi, or Urdu?
Yes — the school specifically welcomes students in all three languages. Mention your preference when booking.
Is it really “since 1998”?
That’s the school’s own marketing claim, but the City of Nanaimo’s business licence record for the current registration only goes back to 2009. Either figure still points to an established, long-running operation — just worth knowing the two numbers don’t fully agree.
Who This School Is For
Straight answer: Nanaimo Driving School is a strong pick if you want a family-run feel with more than one instructor to choose from, if Punjabi, Hindi, or Urdu instruction matters to you, or if you’re specifically looking for training beyond a standard Class 5/7 (like heavy vehicle or taxi prep). Two of the three instructors have specific, independently-sourced praise, which is a genuinely good sign for a school this size.
The main open questions are pricing (not published, so budget for a phone call to get a real number) and the exact scope of the non-standard vehicle training, which isn’t clearly broken out publicly. Otherwise, for a well-established, multilingual, multi-instructor option in Nanaimo, this is one of the stronger choices we found.
Contact Nanaimo Driving School Ltd
Nanaimo, BC V9R 3J5
Tessie Sharma: 250-616-3399
Amandeep Kaur: 250-540-8856
Heavy vehicle / taxi instruction (confirm details)
Info compiled from Nanaimo Driving School’s official website, the City of Nanaimo’s business licence records, and independent review sources. Pricing isn’t published — confirm current rates and the exact scope of non-standard vehicle training directly before booking.
