Answers to Questions

DRIVER'S LICENCE DISQUALIFICATION

In reply to the Hon. T.J. STEPHENS (5 December 2006).

The Hon. CARMEL ZOLLO (Minister for Emergency Services, Minister for Correctional Services, Minister for Road Safety, Minister Assisting the Minister for Multicultural Affairs): I advise:

Legislative amendments proposed will ensure every driver disqualified will be personally served with a notice of disqualification once the Bill, that is currently being drafted, has been passed by Parliament.

In the interim, to deal with recidivist drivers avoiding penalties for driving whilst disqualified under the demerit point scheme or the provisional licence scheme, the Registrar of Motor Vehicles has engaged a process server to personally serve notices of disqualification on repeat offenders within the metropolitan area. Recidivist drivers are those who have:

accrued 12 demerit points within 12 months;

breached a Good Behaviour licence condition; or

been disqualified for a second time within three years.

Regional areas have not been included in this temporary service due to the high costs and the logistics associated with providing the service in regional areas. Disqualified drivers in regional areas will continue to receive notices by post.

The proposed legislation will introduce a new system that requires drivers liable for disqualification to attend a customer service centre, a Service SA outlet, Australia Post or an authorised agent for personal service of the notice of disqualification.