DRIVING LICENCES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 5 September 1940, Page 4

DRIVING LICENCES

RENEWAL TESTS SUSPENDED.

STATEMENT BY MINISTER

(By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON. This Day.

“It has been decided to suspend the regulation requiring drivers whose licences have lapsed for more than three months to undergo a practical driving test before being granted a new licence.” said the Minister of Transport, Mr Semple, last evening. “It was recently announced that drivers who had omitted to renew their licences before August 31 would become liable to another test. "Subsequently representations were macle to me by various local bodies requesting a suspension of this regulation for the current year,” said the Minister. "It was pointed out that, because of the petrol restrictions, an unusually large number of persons had not taken out new licences. It was considered unfair to penalise all these drivers, many of whom felt that, by not using their cars, they were helping the nation’s war effort. Furthermore, the war has made such inroads into the ranks of traffic inspectors that the adequate testing of all the applicants would be impossible. “In view of these facts, I have decided to allow persons affected by the regulation to renew their licences any time during this year without having to undergo any further driving tests A warrant to this effect will shortly be issued under the Transport Emergency ’Regulations, 1940. I trust, however, that those benefiting from this decision will take care to compensate for any lack of driving practice by exercising increased caution."