Managing director Andrea Ross said long wait times were an issue in Northland.

Currently, students can’t get bookings until October, she said.

“It’s a process, my understanding is it’s about three months.

“It just means it’s another barrier. Especially in Northland where there’s no public transport. For students to get a job they have to have their licences.”

Ross said the Government changes would mean people turn up more prepared for their tests.

“It will mean you probably should get some help before you go in the first instance.

“With our students we do get them ready before they go. That’s the whole idea.”

Transport Minister Simeon Brown said since the previous Government’s decision to remove re-sit fees for theory and practical tests last year, demand for driver licence test bookings had increased significantly, as had test failure rates and no-shows.

This has led to “unacceptable delays” for Kiwis trying to book a test, he said.

“Demand for overseas driver licence conversions has also grown significantly, adding to the pressure on the driver licence test system.

“This, coupled with unlimited free re-sits, has meant people applying to sit their driver licence tests have been waiting more than 60 days in parts of the country, which is totally unacceptable.”

Far North district councillor Ann Court, who holds the council’s shared transport portfolio, also welcomed the changes.

She has heard that one person had applied 99 times.

“A lot of people were gaming the system,” Court said.

“It’s like multiple choice, they keep sitting until they pass. What they were doing was clogging up the system.”

Court said people sitting their tests should know the road code.

“We want people on the road who know the road rules.

“It’s tough if you’re financially challenged but equally there were too many people who were passing that didn’t have the competency to be behind the wheel.”

There are 10 licensing sites in Northland, including the main AA sites at Whangārei, Dargaville, Kerikeri, Kaikohe and Kaitaia, and VTNZ sites in Kerikeri and Whangārei.

The remaining three sites offer limited services, with wait times of up to three months for practical tests.

Kerikeri driving instructor Neville Redfern, from Nevman Driver Training, said some of his students said tests were booked out until September.

He encouraged them to book anyway, then keep checking the VTNZ website for cancellations.

“It’s appalling the fact they don’t have enough testing officers.

“It’s like many other problems we have, unless they get the right people in the right places it’ll never be fixed properly.”

Removing eligibility for unlimited free re-sits was a good idea, Redfern said.

“It’s good to have that one free re-sit, but it’ll give people the idea that they can’t just go and sit the test and find out what they need to get better on – they should already know that.”

Brown said the NZ Transport Agency will recruit more driver testing officers and expand the available hours for theory and practical driving tests which would also reduce wait times.

Text alerts have also been introduced to remind people of their driving test and ensure they turn up on the day.

“Getting a driver’s licence makes a big difference in a person’s life,” he said.

“We need to ensure that the process for getting a licence is efficient while allowing learner drivers the time to develop their driving skills.”

There will be a three-month transition period for all drivers who have already paid an application fee under the previous system to ensure they can progress through their current licence stage before these changes take effect.

Jenny Ling is a news reporter and features writer for the Northern Advocate. She has a special interest in covering roading, lifestyle, business, and animal welfare issues.