Daily limit on re-sitting learner driver's test to put brakes on demand

Photo: VTNZ

People who fail their learner driver licence test twice in a day will soon have to wait 10 working days before they can resit the test.

Transport Agency Waka Kotahi will introduce the stand down period from Monday to manage increased demand and reduce wait times.

It follows a change introduced in October, that brought in an all-in-one fee for each stage of a driver licence, which removed resit fees, prompting a hike in people sitting their learner's test.

But it has meant many people are choosing to re-sit a theory test more than once in a single day.

NZTA land transport deputy director Neil Cook said some people were turning up to sit a learner test without having read or learnt the road rules and then clogging up available test slots, impacting other applicants.

Tests must be booked in person at AA and VTNZ sites.

"Introducing a stand down period after two failed attempts on the same day means more testing slots will be available for others, and may encourage applicants who fail tests to better prepare for their next attempt," Cook said.

It will apply to people who attempt to book more than two learner tests on the same day.

"We'll monitor the learner licence resit bookings closely, and will remove the stand down period when demand drops," Cook said.

"The number of learner licence tests available on any day is determined by the number of computer terminals and staff available to supervise testing," he siad.

"Many people are currently failing a learner test then waiting for the next available slot, failing again, then using the next available slot, which clogs up the number of available tests at a site."

Applicants must answer at least 32 of 35 randomly selected questions correctly based on the Road Code to get their Class 1 learner licence.

The AA is welcoming the plans to add a stand down period but said it doesn't go far enough.

Principal advisor Terry Collins said the change to remove re-sit fees in October had the best of intentions, but they were dealing with the fallout as more people repeating the test, taking up available booking slots.

Waiting times have tripled in some areas with some approaching three months, Collins said.

"The old term 'there has to be skin in the game' applies to this. So if you're sitting a number of tests on the same day and you're failing, well you'll just keep going until you get it right.

"That is not a good indication that you're ready to go on the road. It's just that you've repeated the same test again and again and finally you've got the right answer after several attempts."

He believed the stand-down period should help with waiting times and hoped people would use the time to study so they could pass the next time.

But he said people were doing the same thing for their restricted licence.

"We're worried that some of the drivers now, instead of being an exercise they determined you can drive as a restricted driver, some of those people are using it as a teaching lesson. 'I'll keep going along because I get feedback and I'm practicing with the instructor. There's no consequence for that and I can avoid driving tests'.

"I think this is the unintended consequences of this are now becoming evident."

He urged Waka Kotahi to consider similar changes to the other licence categories to reduce the backlog and waiting list further.