A WAGGA driving instructor has voiced his opposition to a recommendation that the 120-hour requirement for learners to be eligible for their provisional licence be scrapped for some drivers.
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The proposal is one of 21 recommendations put to Transport for NSW following a parliamentary inquiry into support for rural and regional learner drivers.
The report, compiled by the state's Joint Standing Committee on Road Safety, suggests driving instructors should be able to deem a learner driver competent enough to go for their provisional P1 licence (red P-plates) without having completed the required 120 hours of driving.
Wagga driving instructor Denis Reeves opposes the plan because he said road skills only came with time behind the wheel and good instruction or supervision.
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"While I have encountered young learner drivers I believe have the vehicle control skills appropriate to pass a driving test - particularly those whom have grown up on a farm and have been driving vehicles since they could reach the pedals - this does not mean they have sufficient road-craft skills to be let loose amongst other road users in traffic," he said.
Mr Reeves said while statistics demonstrated learner drivers were "some of the safest drivers on our roads", P1 licence holders were "statistically the least safe".
"I do not believe a learner driver, however competent they are at controlling a vehicle, should be allowed to obtain a licence before completing their 120 logbook hours," he said.
"I have had some students who are still not competent of being on the road by themselves even after their 120 hours are complete."
Wagga learner driver Indiah Pendrick has found her journey completing 120 hours of supervised driving to be pleasant so far.
Miss Pendrick's brother lets her complete her hours in his year-old Isuzu D-MAX.
"I've been going good with my hours," she said.
"I have 94 and I'm not due to get my [P1 licence] until October."
The report has also recommended Transport for NSW provide vehicles to local councils that can be used by learner drivers, and also the development of a program to increase the number of driving instructors in regional locations across the state.
Mr Reeves said Wagga already had plenty of instructors. "The issue is making lessons available to those not in a financial position to afford them," he said.
"I'm too soft, and have provided many, many lessons gratis to some of my students whom I know are struggling to afford professional tutelage. I'm not going to retire a millionaire. For outlying regional centres, there is a lack of professional instructors."
Mr Reeves said he had had to travel as far as West Wyalong to provide lessons to students, resulting in him making no revenue.
"Instructors should be made available in these smaller regional communities, and to make it economically viable, instructors who need to travel should be able to be provided some form of subsidy," he said.
When it comes to councils being provided vehicles, Mr Reeves said it was a great idea. However, he said he would prefer to see vehicles made available to secondary schools, and driving lessons and theory introduced as a compulsory subject for years 10 and up.
The committee has recommended Transport for NSW investigate integrating driver training into stages 5 and 6 - years 10 to 12 - of the school curriculum for students in rural and regional areas, in consultation with the Department of Education.
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