Australian NSW Gvt makes foreign drivers licence conversion mandatory, sets deadline
By Kwedu News
The New South Wales (NSW) Government has gazetted that all foreign drivers license holders within its territory now need to convert to a NSW licence within six months in order to remain on the road.
The move is necessitated by trying to ensure safety on NSW roads and preventing them turning into a jungle.
Foreign drivers license holders have been given the six months from the 1st of March 2024 while drivers who have been using a foreign drivers licence before the 1st of July 2023 must have a NSW licence by the 1st of March 2025 or face the law.
Roads Minister, John Graham, said uniformity will improve safety on NSW roads and deal decisively with law breakers and bad driving hiding behind foreign license holding.
“More drivers on a NSW licence sooner will improve the standard of driving in NSW and therefore safety overall,” he said.
“The regulation change means no one will drive around for years and years on NSW roads without coming under the NSW licence system.
“When everyone comes under the same set of rules then safety is enhanced, but for belligerent rule breakers who have had a place to hide behind overseas licences, they will now face the full force of NSW law,” said Graham.
Foreign driver licence holders will have to pass a practical driving test first to get the NSW licence.
However, those whose licenses are from countries with road laws and systems very similar to those in NSW will simply convert without testing.
Online statics reveal that between 2018 and 2022, 23 fatal accidents occured in NSW involving a foreign driver licence holder, or rider.
About 468 accidents with serious injuries in NSW, involving the same, were recorded.
The six months grace period, as NSW Government says, will allow Service NSW enough time to balance processing of foreign drivers’ tests and licences while handling normal testing of learner and provisional licences.
A Driver Testing Centre in Macquarie Fields has been opened by Service NSW specifically for driver testing along with the existing St. Marys centre.
Customer Service Minister, Jihad Dib said the process will be made smooth and timely.
“…Service NSW is making driver testing as quick and easy as possible by opening another centre dedicated to helping new arrivals, as well as local residents, get on the road sooner.
“The new Macquarie Fields Driver Testing Centre will guide temporary visa holders through every step of the process to get them on the road as quickly, and more importantly, as safely as possible,” said Dib.
A gap that was left by the previous Government administration which said only new arrivals to NSW from the 1st of July 2023 needed to convert their licence within six months of residing there, has been plugged.
“Under the regulation changes announced today, anyone who has been driving on an overseas licence, regardless of when they arrived in NSW, will also be required to switch to a NSW licence.
“The loophole led to thousands of drivers racking up demerit points but remaining beyond the reach of NSW authorities,” an Australian online publication is quoted having said, adding that “in one case, a driver accrued more than 35 demerit points, an outcome unthinkable to the nearly seven million other drivers in NSW.”
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