Driver Licensing Amendment Rule released for consultation

The NZ Transport Agency is consulting on proposed changes to New Zealand's driver licensing regime aimed at improving the safety of young drivers, motorcyclists and moped riders, improving the integrity of the driver licensing system and making business processes clearer and easier.

The proposed changes are outlined in the Land Transport (Driver Licensing) Amendment Rule, released earlier today for public comment.

The amendment rule will deliver some of the first actions of the Government’s Safer Journeys road safety strategy. Safer Journeys is a long-term, multi-agency commitment to achieve a safe road system in New Zealand which is increasingly free of death and serious injury. 

Other changes in the rule specifically around the driver licensing system aim to:

• create greater safeguards against attempts to obtain a driver licence fraudulently
• tighten security around obtaining a driver licence and the use of a temporary licence during an application or when sitting a test
• clarify requirements for overseas drivers
• improve consistency within the Rule and with other pieces of legislation
• improve business processes, resulting in cost savings for the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) and a reduction in compliance costs for applicants.

For further information on the Land Transport (Driver Licensing) Amendment Rule, including detailed Q&As, visit: http://www.nzta.govt.nz/consultation/driver-licensing-amendment-2011/(external link)

For more on the effort to create a safe road system in New Zealand, visit www.saferjourneys.govt.nz(external link).