The Institute of Driver Educators has stated that people who learned to drive safely with a professional instructor were good citizens on the road. The institute is pleased that Waka Kotahi, the transport agency, is addressing the long wait times for learner’s license tests. However, they also want the agency to encourage more people to learn with professional instructors.
Starting from Monday, individuals who fail the test twice in one day will have to wait 10 working days before they can retake it. The fees for retaking the test were removed in October, leading to an increase in the number of people taking the theory test.
Mark Revill-Johnson from the Institute of Driver Educators believes that the change will help manage demand. He said, “We’re absolutely in favour of initiatives that remove barriers… but we’re a lot more in favour of initiatives that encourage people to take help from professionals to get them driving in a skilled way, in a safe way.”
Revill-Johnson hopes that the change will motivate people to study for the test rather than just hoping for the best. He added, “The purpose of the test is to ensure that you understand the road rules before you actually get out driving the real world… the only thing that would change that is their preparation for sitting the test.”
The Automobile Association also supports the new stand-down period but believes it doesn’t go far enough, as wait times for the test have tripled in some areas. Principal advisor Terry Collins said that the decision to remove re-sit fees in October was well-intentioned, but it has led to more people repeating the test and taking up available booking slots.
