Tim Dower: I thought I had a chance to compliment some govt policy, maybe next time

When I first heard what the Transport Minister is doing in the driving licence area yesterday my heart soared.

At last, something I can hand on heart say is a good thing - sensible policy - an incentive for everyone to get fully licensed.

Surely, that has to be good, when you think we've got at least 40,000 unlicensed and untested drivers out there every day of the week.

If they get caught they can get fined up to a grand, a further obstacle to getting driving lessons, passing a test and being a safer, legal driver.

The research shows high-risk drivers - people without a licence - people who are drunk and people who speed cause one in three of the deaths on our roads.

No licence means no insurance - bad luck and a pile of aggro for anyone who gets hit by someone who shouldn't be driving.

I'd really applaud the idea of making it less difficult for people to get through the hurdles of getting a licence, provided we're actually putting competent, safer people on the roads.

The devil, of course, is in the detail.

And the detail of this particular package flipped my view of it on its head.

Number one: it's a tax grab.

Fees for legal drivers, fees charged to car dealers are obviously eventually passed on to car owners, they're all going up.

Minister Michael Wood reckons it'll bring in another $66 million a year which is mostly out of the pockets of higher-earning households.

And as far as making the roads safer goes, it doesn't pass the sniff test there either.       

The Driving Change Network’s take is there's no incentive to get proper lessons from an instructor.

The Government hasn't been transparent about the changes and the fact is that fees are going up for people who prepare and pass their test first time.

They'll be subsidising those who don't and there's no financial incentive for them to pass, because they'll be able to keep sitting it until they do.

It'll do nothing to make our roads safer.

So believe me when I say I really want to be able to say something good about new government policy, I thought my chance had come.

Maybe next time.

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