The Tasmanian Liberal Government’s innovative P1 private driver assessor pilot program will be extended another six months, until the end of September, following initial record results.

In 2020, 11,674 P1 assessments were undertaken, even with COVID-19 restrictions causing a significant drop in numbers from April to June.

Commencing in September 2019, the pilot was designed to cut P1 driver assessment wait times and booking backlogs, and to provide more assessments at more times in more places, including regional areas.

In order to further cut waiting times for driver’s licence assessments, in June 2020 the Government authorised an extra 13 suitably qualified driving instructors from the private sector to deliver P1 assessments, bringing the total to 21 across the State.

This has been immensely successful, with the second half of last year seeing the highest six-monthly figures on record, at nearly 7,600.

Uptake of a private P1 assessor rather than a Government assessor has grown significantly through our promotion of the pilot program, with more than two-thirds of all assessments undertaken through the P1 private assessor pilot at the end of last year.

The P1 pilot helped August, September, October, November and December each reach numbers greater than any single month since September 2008, just before the commencement of the original graduated licensing system.

This further extension of the pilot will provide certainty for both the accredited private assessors and learners looking towards their P1 assessment, and will allow booking through the program to continue beyond the original end date of March 31, 2021.

Getting a driver’s licence plays a vital role in helping Tasmanians make the most of employment and educational opportunities, and to lock in a positive future for themselves, and the Tasmanian Liberal Government remains committed to continuing to reduce wait times.

Information for learner drivers about assessment options, services and locations is available at www.transport.tas.gov.au

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