Excerpt from the Examination Centre's regulations for handling complaints and reports of public interest

 

Overview diagram of the complaint handling process
 

(Click on the image to download its PDF version)

 

Information on complaint handling procedures
(excerpt from the Examination Centre’s rules for handling complaints and notifications of general interest)


1.      Possible ways of making complaints and/or notifications of general interest

1.1.    Verbally, in person at any of the Examination Centre’s client service points 
          (In opening hours: https://vizsgakozpont.hu/kapcsolat/ugyfelszolgalat)    

If the complaint or notification of general interest made verbally can be resolved on site and redressed easily, furthermore, its settlement on site has been accepted by Complainant or Notifier, it shall be recorded by the Administrator (either by means of the administrator's form or the complaint form available on the Examination Centre's website).

In case a verbal complaint or notification of general interest cannot be resolved easily on site,
a)    the Administrator shall  either record the verbal notification through the form technology or hand the notification form  (or send it electronically) over to Complainant or Notifier,
b)    the complaint (or notification of general interest) shall be recorded in two copies by the Examination Centre, one of which is to be handed over to Complainant (or Notifier). The document must certify the fact of receipt (i.e. the receiver’s name and signature, date of receipt, official seal or stamp).

1.2.       Making written complaints or notifications of general interest

1.2.1.    On paper
a)    submitted in person at any any of the Examination Centre’s client service points,
b)    by post (1438 Budapest, Pf. 477),
c)    by telefax (36-1-814-1815).

In the case of a written complaint or notification of general interest, Complainant or Notifier is entitled to fill in a notification form (please, see: https://vizsgakozpont.hu/dokumentumtar), the use of whisch is, however, not mandatory. 
Written complaints or notifications of general interest may be submitted in person at either the Examination Centre’s seat or its branch offices in opening hours or sent either by post to the Examination Centre’s official postal address.

1.2.2.    Electronically
a)    by e-mail (panasz@kavk.hu),
b)    through e-Paper service,
c)    with the help of the form technology available ont he Examination Centre’s website.

Written complaints or notifications of general interest may be sent by e-mail to panasz@kavk.hu, through e-Paper service (please, see: https://epapir.gov.hu/ or with the help of form technology: https://vizsgakozpont.hu/panaszbejelento-urlapok

In order to scrutinize a complaint or notification of general interest, a precise summary of the case is required. Should there be various complaints, each of them has to be recorded separately along with their justifications. Furthermore, specific claims/requests must be indicated in the record and a copy of the document(s) evidencing the content of the complaint must also be attached to the procedural document(s). In case there have been any antecedents to the complaint or notification of general interest, related information ¬ (such as case number(s), name(s) of administrator(s) involved etc.) must also be provided.

When a complaint is submitted by Complainant’s representative or proxy, the right to representation shall be examined by the Examination Centre. Should the representative be a minor complainant’s or notifier’s legal representative, a declaration of such fact must be made by the representative. The declaration must be attached to the procedural document (i.e. complaint or notification of general interest) and the legal representative’s name must also be indicated. In case Complainant or Notifier acts through a proxy, the proxy’s name also has to be indicated in the procedural document to which a valid authorization must also be attached. For the Hungarian version of the declaration or the authorization, respectively, please, visit: https://vizsgakozpont.hu/dokumentumtar 

1.3.       Procedure of handling complaints or notifications of general interest 

1.3.1.    Complainant’s or Notifier’s rights and obligations; conflicts of interest, exclusion
 
Impartiality of the person(s) scrutinizing any complaint or notification of general interest is guaranteed by the Examination Centre throughout the procedure of the investigation. 
Neither Complainant nor Notifier shall suffer any disadvantage for making a complaint or notification of public interest. 
Both Complainant and Notifier may request information on the status of their complaint or notification of general interest by sending an e-mail to panasz@kavk.hu

1.3.2.    Investigation of complaints or notifications of general interest 

Any complaint or notification of general interest concerning the operation, organisation, client service, investigation, examination or exam supervision practices, training or any other activities performed by the Examination Centre shall always be scrutinized. The document closing the investigation shall be sent by the Examination Centre to Complainant or Notifier.

Scrutiny of a complaint or a notification of general interest may be omitted in the following cases:
a)    The complaint or notification of general interest has been made anonymously or by an unidentifiable person, or has been submitted by one lacking a valid authorization or a declaration made by the legal representative;
b)    Complainant’s or Notifier’s contact details are unavailable;
c)    The complaint or notification was submitted later than six months from learning about the activity or failure complained of;
d)    The complaint or notification has been withdrawn;
e)    Complainant or Notifier has failed to complete the documents required for the investigation within the deadline previously set,
f)    Complainant or Notifier has: 
      fa) failed or refused to provide relevant information required during the scrutiny,
      fb) failed to make the required verbal or written declaration, or
      fc) failed to attach the required document(s), 
and, having failed this, both detailed exploration and investigation of the case are impossible.
g)    Complainant or Notifier has repeatedly made complaints or notifications with the same content. 

The Examination Centre shall refuse to answer any complaint or notification of general interest submitted more than one year after the activity or failure complained of.

1.3.3.     Rights and obligations of the person scrutinizing the complaint or the notification of general interest

The person scrutinizing the complaint or the notification of general interest is entitled to collect further information needed for the investigation of the complaint or notification of general interest from Complainant or Notifier as well as to hear them. The person scrutinizing the complaint or the notification of general interest is obliged to draw up minutes on the hearing and, if necessary, visit the site. In case Complainant or the person concerned by the notification of public interest needs to be heared, neither Complainant nor Notifier is allowed to be represented. However, an accompanying person may attend the hearing.

Once a complaint or notification has been settled, Complainant or Notifier shall always be informed in writing.

Should any complaint or notification bring along ex officio public administrative proceedings, both Complainant and Notifier are always to be notified in writing simultaneously with the initiation of such procedure.

Each complaint or notification of general interest shall be scrutinized within 30 days from its receipt. If the investigation is expected to take longer time, Complainant or Notifier shall be informed by the Examination Centre in writing of the expected closing date of the investigation, as well as of the reason for the prolongation before the expiry of the default deadline.

1.3.4. Decision making, closure of investigation

Once all information relevant to the given complaint or notification of general interest has become available, investigation phase is to be closed and a decision to be made.
The complaint or notification of general interest may be
a)    approved (the complaint or notification was well-founded, and a decision to impose measures has been made);
b)    partially approved;
c)    rejected (the complaint or notification was not well-founded), and the procedure can be terminated without taking any measures.
As acts concluding the procedure, decision-making is followed by the elaboration and transmission of a written document (decision). In its reply, the Examination Centre shall communicate its standpoint, substantive decision and/or measures taken to Complainant or Notifier. 

Based on the complaint or notification of general interest proved to be well-grounded, 
a)    status that is lawful or compliant with the general interest must be restored, 
b)    required measures must be taken, 
c)    reasons for the identified errors must be eliminated, 
d)    remedy to the damage caused must be provided primarily through negotiations, 
e)    in justified cases, the person(s) at fault must be called to account.

The outcome of the investigation of complaints or notifications of general interest concerning the Examination Centre’s activities of examination, driver offender re-training courses or those of drivers’ aptitude assessments shall never result in better exam results or higher classification into re-training programmes!

1.3.5. Review of a decision

Should Complainant or Notifier disagree with the measures taken based upon the procedural document or the response provided, a review of the decision may be requested in writing within 15 days from receiving the response. Requests are to be sent electronically or on paper to any of the aforementioned addresses. The document closing the investigation shall be sent to Complainant or Notifier respectively. 

In case Complainant or Notifier refuses to accept the document closing the review, its scrutiny can be requested in writing within 15 days.  Requests may be submitted either on paper or electronically, through any of the channels specified above. It is the supervisory body of the Examination Centre that is responsible for investigating the result of the review, therefore requests shall be referred by Examination Centre to the superior body within five working days so that the review is done.