They can feel like you have to pass an exam to move on to the next year . . . medical test kits arrive in the mail along with reminders about others and then there is your driver’s licence.
Cromwell resident Hugh Derham was happy to undergo all the tests required at 80 to continue to drive. He booked an appointment with his GP and spent 45 minutes proving he was fit and able to potter around Cromwell in his slightly less elderly ute.
Once his eyesight and cognitive abilities had passed muster, Mr Derham was handed a piece of paper which, for the next six weeks, assured the licensing authority NZTA Waka Kotahi they should issue him an updated licence.
However, when Mr Derham went to do that transaction he was surprised to learn he could not do that in his own town but would have to travel to Wanaka, Alexandra or Queenstown.
"I have chosen not to drive on the [Cromwell] gorge but to stay in Cromwell."
Once he had the medical paperwork, all that was required was more paperwork, he said.
It was a mystery why there could not be an agency in Cromwell to issue licences like his which did not require a driving test or be able to have the licence issued electronically.
"Why can’t I send a digital photograph and have the licence sent to me?"
AA and VTNZ are contracted by NZTA to provide licensing services around the country. AA provide the Wanaka service and VTNZ do testing in Alexandra.
AA general manager commercial and products Roger Venn said there were three licensing services within a one-hour drive of Cromwell — Alexandra, Wanaka and Queenstown.
The Wanaka agency was a a mobile service but was fully booked during opening hours and did not mobilise to any other centres.
Mr Venn said they worked with NZTA to monitor demand and ensure people can access licensing services within a reasonable distance of their homes.
However, Mr Derham was unmoved.
"We are supposed to be reducing emissions. I play squash and bridge and there are quite a number needing to renew their licences. Cromwell is growing fast. It’s a government requirement to have a licence so it should provide an agency."
