Plastic driver’s licences

Press, 24 March 1988, Page 26

Plastic driver’s licences

If ■ i H I Motorists will be able to get tlie new plastic driver’s licence Ifrom April 1. r ' ‘ According to the manager of the Ministry of Transport Support | Services in Christchurch, Mr John Hammond, the licences will be compulsory and must be obtained some time before April 1989. | • ' I "" The licences would be charged according tb age and how recently a licence; had been renewed,! Mr Hammond ■said. 'I j i " ' ■ i i ! He said that drivers should have their licences changed |during thejweek ofj their I birthdays, to allopt the Ministry “a f reasonable chance” to handle th|e; licences j in H “an orderly fashion.” I "In | the Christchurch area alone, we will handle about 210,000 licences, so

J" u t !■ "!i.‘ we : arej not encouraging everyone to come in! on April 1L” 'Mr/ Hammond .said.! J 11 J II; I That was the reason for suggesting birth dates as a good 1 time to change to the plastic licences, he said.j | : ||/ ." I . Mr Hammond said that if peopfe chose to come in early, he did, not expect any problem, He; said he believed there were some drivers who would fdrget to icome in altogether. Upon! issue, of Ithe !new licence, the pold| (licence would be cancelled, i | The Ministry of Transport! in Christchurch I will use the former Whitcoulls building at tlie corner of Manchester I 'Street , | and Hereford Street to serve as| | a licence I transfer centre, j and in the! administrative areas of Paparua, Kaiapfli, Rangiora, Amuri, | Cheviot, Huninui,

Malvern, i and Oxford, council rooms will service drivers outside the city. The reissuing charge would bej $27.50 if the licence had been renewed up to June, 1986, Mr Hammond said. |; I Those drivers who had renewed j their licences later would! get a rebate for each (year to 1990! I Costs will | be: Those between the ages of 15 andl 59 with licences renewed l to June, 1986, $27:50; June, 1987, $24.75; June, 822; June, 1989, $19.25; June, 1990, $16.50. j I ;• || Those between the ages of 60 and] 75 with licences renewed |i td June, 1986, $16.50; June, 1987, $13.75; June, 1988' $11; June, 1989, SBJ2S June, 1990, $5.50. il ; If a driver yas over) 76, reissuing I a licence would cost $16.50 for the initial

transfer, Mr; Hammond said. ij|J ■ Ji ;l| The plastic | licence would be valid until the age of 71 once reissuing was completed. | “Once at the age of 71,' a medical test must be taken each year and a practical- driving test every second year,” Mr Hammond said. " With the reissuing of the new licences, the applicant would be asked if he or ishe wished'to be an organ donor and the col T our of the eyes. I “These will be the only two matters endorsed on the actual licence,” Mr Hammond said. | When the application was filled out, I personal questions would be asked, and the replies ivould be put on to the 1 Wanganui computer system! I " These answers would be used when licences were

being used by any i one other than the owner, Mr Hammond said. ||!"| |i | j-The new licence is of similar size to the bld|one, bilt without the pages. It lofaks like paper, I but. is made of plastic 11 which .does notijtearj ||j | 111 l|