John MacDonald: I'm not anti international drivers, but...

There are a lot of weird things in the world, but one of the weirdest would have to be the international drivers licence.  

You know, you’re licensed to drive in one country, but a little bit of paper lets you drive in any country. It doesn’t matter that you know next to nothing about the road rules or the driving conditions.  

But tell that to the Government which obviously doesn’t find international licences as weird as I do.  

I find them weird. I don't like them. And, before you accuse me of being a hypocrite - I’ll admit that I am a hypocrite because I’ve used them before when I’ve gone overseas.  

But ever since I got my first international licence, I’ve thought that it’s crazy that you can drive anywhere without being tested or trained on local rules and driving conditions. Which is why I think the Government’s latest move to reduce waiting times for practical driving tests is just crazy. 

It’s going to extend the period someone from overseas can drive on an international licence in New Zealand from 12 months to 18 months to try and reduce the waiting times for practical driving tests because the average wait time is over a month.  

Apparently, the way things have been, the demand from international drivers wanting to get their New Zealand licence has been going through the roof.  

Transport Minister Simeon Brown says there are tens of thousands of international drivers wanting to get their New Zealand licences. Or licence conversions, as they’re known. Which has meant that the queues and waiting times have been getting longer. 

So the Government wants to take some of the international drivers out of the queue so local drivers can do their practical tests sooner.   

Simeon Brown says they’re hiring more trainers and testers. But they still need to do more, and this is one. But I think it’s a terrible idea and I’m not alone.  

Someone who is a testing officer got in touch to say they think it’s a crazy idea too.  

This person says, from what they see, international drivers wanting to convert their licences to New Zealand licences are failing their practical driving tests —on average— six times, before they pass.  

This person says that, instead of letting them drive here on international licences longer, the Government should be doing the opposite and limiting them to three months maximum before they have to convert to a New Zealand licence.   

That would do nothing to fix the problem the Government’s trying to fix but I don’t care about that.  

Because what should be the priority here? Helping people get their licences quicker or keeping people safe on the road?  

That’s a no-brainer question. The priority has to be keeping people safe on the road.   

And that isn’t going to happen by letting international drivers get off a plane, get behind the wheel of a vehicle and cruise around the place for six months longer than they’re allowed to now before being tested.  

I’m not anti international drivers. As I said at the start, I’ve held international licences before. I’ve taken advantage of something that I actually think is crazy.  

But I am definitely anti anything that is going to mean untested drivers driving on our roads longer than they do now.  

I don't care how long it takes people to get their licence if the alternative is what the Government has come up with today. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Canterbury Morning's Podcast with John McDonald
from news Talk ZB.

Speaker 2 (00:13):
You know, there are a lot of weird things in
the world, a lot of weird things in the world,
but one of the weirdest would have to be the
international driver's license. You know, your license to drive in
one country, but a little bit of you, just a
little bit of paper, let you drive in any country.
Doesn't matter that you might know next to nothing about

(00:35):
the road rules or next to nothing about the local
driving conditions where you go. But tell that to the government,
which obviously doesn't find international licenses as weird as I do.
I find them weird. I don't like them, And before
you accuse me of being a hypocrite, I'll accuse myself
of that. I'll admit I've used them before when I've

(00:57):
gone overseas. But ever since I got my first international license,
right from the start, I've thought that it's crazy paper
lets you drive anywhere without being tested or trained on
local rules and driving conditions, which is why I think
the government's latest move to reduce waiting times for practical

(01:18):
driving tests is just crazy. It's nuts. You see what
it's going to do. You might have heard Simon Brown
on with Mike this morning. It's going to extend the
period someone from overseas can drive on an international license
in New Zealand from twelve months to eighteen months. It's
an idea it's come up with to try and reduce
the waiting times for practical driving tests because the average

(01:41):
time is well over a month apparently, and the way
things have been, the demand from international drivers wanting to
get their New Zealand license has been going through the
roof transport. One is to see me in Brown, he
said this morning. There are tens of thousands of international
drivers wanted to get their New Zealand licenses or get
their licenses converted as they say, which of course involves

(02:05):
practically driving tests. And so it's meant that the queues
and the waiting times have been getting longer for everybody.
So the government wants to take some of the international
drivers out of the queue so that the local drivers
can do their practical tests sooner and so mean Brown says,
oh no, it's not the only thing we're doing, says
we're hiring more trainers and testers, but we still need
to do more. And this idea is one of the

(02:30):
things in the do more category, and I think it's
a terrible idea. I'll tell you why shortly. I'm not
alone either, By the way, someone who was a testing
officer has been in touch with us this morning saying
that they think it's a crazy idea too. This person says,
from what they see in their work, international drivers wanting

(02:50):
to convert their licenses to New Zealand licenses are failing
their practical driving tests on average six times before they
pass six times. And this person says, instead of letting
them drive here on international licenses longer, the government should
be doing the opposite. It should be limiting them to
three months maximum before they have to convert to a

(03:13):
New Zealand license, before they have to prove that they
have the skills and knowledge to drive safely here in
New Zealand. Now, that would do nothing to fix the
problem the government's trying to fix with the waiting times
for the licensing tests. But I don't care about that.
I don't give two hurts about that, because what should
be the priority here? Do you reckon helping people get
their licenses quicker or keeping people safe on the road.

(03:37):
I mean, it's a no brainer question isn't it. The
priority has to be keeping people safe on the road,
and that isn't going to happen by letting international drivers
get off a plane, get behind the wheel of a
vehicle and let them cruis around the place for six
months longer than they're allowed to an hour before being tested.

(03:58):
See at the moment, they can be on the roads
for twelve months with no checks on their driving skills
or their knowledge, and the government wants to extend that
to eighteen. It is It's ridiculous and it's just another
example of the government rushing stuff through so it can
brag on about getting stuff done. Well. Look, I'm not
anti international drivers, and as I said at the start,

(04:18):
I've held international licenses before I've taken it. I've taken
advantage of something that I actually think is crazy. But
I'm definitely anti anything that is going to mean untested
drivers driving on our roads longer than they do now.
If you want to get a license, if you're in
New Zealand and you want to get a license, you
have to bend over backwards. You have to prove all
sorts of things before you can drive. And I don't

(04:41):
care how long it takes people to get their license
if the alternative is what the government has come up
with Today.

Speaker 1 (04:48):
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