$20M will be spent over the next five years helping more people get behind the wheel with the expansion of the Driver Licensing Access Program (DLAP).
Minister for Transport and Roads Andrew Constance said the program’s investment had been doubled and is aimed at increasing opportunities for 10,000 individuals including people from Aboriginal communities, vulnerable youth and refugees.
“Getting a driver’s licence is life-changing. It brings new opportunities for employment, education, training and medical treatment,” Mr Constance said.
“The program works by partnering volunteers with some of our more vulnerable members of the community, giving them access to licensing, safe and legal driving.
“Since the program started in 2015, more than 4,500 participants have gained their Learner Licence and over 3,000 have achieved their Provisional Licence.”
The program helps participants to navigate the Graduated Licensing Scheme (GLS). It includes preparing for the driver knowledge test to gain their Learner’s Licence, assistance accumulating 120 hours on road supervised driving experience as well as the costs in getting a licence.
Mr Constance said the statistics show unauthorised drivers are four times more likely to be involved in a fatal crash and twice as likely to be in a crash causing injury.
Ensuring we get more people inside the licensing system greatly reduces the risks on our roads. The deaths of young drivers have more than halved since the current licensing scheme began in 2000, but we still see young drivers over-represented in road crashes,” Mr Constance said.
“Last year’s road toll was 297. This toll isn’t just a number – it’s people, a loved one,a family member or a colleague.”
Transport for NSW has worked with Multicultural NSW to identify communities that would benefit from the expanded driver assistance program. These will include Fairfield, Liverpool, Bankstown, Parramatta, Holroyd, Bankstown, Wollongong, Newcastle, Coffs Harbour, Armidale, the Riverina and Murray.