National has come up with yet another way to make driving a car more expensive – this time adding more costs to sit a driver licence, Labour transport spokesperson Tangi Utikere said.

“The Government is already upping vehicle registration by $50. This driver’s tax is on top of a 12c increase to fuel tax set to hit all at once in 2027, and scrapping the clean car discount which made it cheaper to buy electric vehicles.

“Now Simeon Brown is coming after new drivers, bringing back the $89 re-sit fee,” Tangi Utikere said.

“Labour removed the fee to re-sit your licence to make it easier for people to get on the road safely and support more people into work.

“With around half of New Zealanders having to re-sit when trying for their licence, this extra fee will put pressure on tight budgets.

“Ensuring people have a licence and the correct skills to be driving on the roads make the roads safer for everyone. It also increases a person’s employment prospects.

“What good is spending almost the entire transport budget on roads, when people won’t be able to afford to drive on them,” Tangi Utikere said.

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