Question regarding increased driving test wait times despite government claims and promises of improvement. The Minister responds citing economic growth, increased assessor numbers, and fluctuating wait times.

AnsweredQoN 2791Legislative Assembly
Asked
16 October 2007
Portfolio
Minister Assisting the Minister for Planning and Infrastructure

QuestionView source ↗

(a) why, despite the Government’s continual claims that the matter was being addressed, the waiting time for driving tests has actually increased over the last four years, according to figures provided by the Minister, from an average wait time of seven weeks in 2003 to 13 weeks in 2007;
(b) what has happened to the Government’s promise that the additional employment of 12 new driving assessors by the end of May 2007 would reduce waiting times in line with the Department’s desired standard of three weeks or less;
(c) will the Minister admit that there has been a deliberate attempt to disguise the fact that the reduction of waiting times for driving licence tests has, in fact, not been achieved; and
(d) what do the Department’s official records show the current waiting times for drivers licence tests are at each of the metropolitan licensing centres?

AnswerView source ↗

Answered
14 November 2007
Responded by
Minister representing the Minister Assisting the Minister for Planning and Infrastructure
Response time
29 days
(a) The Government is addressing the rapid growth in demand, due to the boom in the State's economy, through a variety of measures funded by an additional $73.8m announced in April 2007.
(b) The Licensing Business Unit has recruited a net increase of 14 additional driver assessors this year, and waiting times are reducing as anticipated.
(c-d) Waiting times at each centre fluctuate on a continual basis as assessments are booked, cancelled and released. On average, metropolitan waiting times have been:
Over the last 5 days - 5 weeks
Over the last month -  6.7 weeks
Over the last 6 months  - 9.3 weeks
Over the last 12 months  -  9.5 weeks
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