Monday 21st Jun 1999
Owen Jennings
Media Release

ACT Mobilises Drivers Over Licence Fees

ACT is mobilising the country's commercial drivers this week as part of the Party's campaign to reduce the LTSA's fee hikes for renewing licences.

ACT Transport Spokesman Owen Jennings has today written to commercial licence holders around the country saying he is hopeful that with a major effort this week the LTSA's new licence renewal fees can be driven down.

Drivers of buses, taxi's and heavy vehicles who are facing costs of up to $500 to get their new licences are being asked by ACT to fax the ACT office or the Minister of Transport to back ACT's campaign to have the fees reduced.

"Many drivers don't earn enough in a whole year to pay these new fees.

"ACT believes that having lost the argument to charge up to $60 for standard drivers licences the LTSA decided to recoup the shortfall from commercial licence holders. That is outrageous and ACT is making every effort to have the costs reduced.

"The Bus and Coach Association has calculated that the LTSA will raise a total of $5,430,000 every five years ($1.086 million annually just for passenger service operators,) based on a total driver pool of about 30,000 C and D class licence holders.

"The most concerning part of this fee hike for bus drivers is the $250 they have to pay to prove they are a "fit and proper person". Out of 14,752 D class licence holders just 55 have had their licences revoked in the last five years. 99.6% of D class licence holders are paying $250 each so the LTSA can catch a handful that shouldn't be on the road.

"These fees are unfair and unjustified. With the help of commercial drivers I am confident we can get them down.

Owen Jennings has already put a submission to the Regulations Review Committee outlining the LTSA's actions in hiking up the fees and saying that Parliament must move immediately to bring them back under control. Mr Jennings is appearing before the Committee this week to back his submission.

ENDS

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