Driver licences to be reviewed

The Associate Transport Minister has announced a review of parts of New Zealand’s driver licensing system. “A lot has changed since the current driver licensing system was introduced in 1999,” says Craig Foss. “The review will look at modernising the system by making it more customer-focused and reducing compliance costs. “It will consider whether the heavy-vehicle driver licensing process could be simplified by reducing the number of heavy vehicle classes and related endorsements.” Foss adds while fundamental elements of the licensing system will not be reviewed, such as the photo driver licence and minimum licensing age, there are chances to make the system easier to understand and use. “For example, the review is an opportunity to consider online renewals and whether the full-licence test needs to evolve given the recent changes to make the restricted test more difficult.” Any proposed law changes will be consulted on and progressed in 2016. For more information, visit www.transport.govt.nz/dlr