Temporary licensing changes in place to help older Western Australians and essential workers

Driving a car

The Department of Transport is introducing several changes to its services to manage disruption arising from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Practical Driving Assessments (PDAs) will continue but they will be limited and prioritised according to need.

In place now C Class (car) PDAs will only be available to learners who require a driver’s licence for employment or emergency services, and customers who have a PDA booked which they do not urgently require are being asked to cancel online.

The Department of Transport is contacting all booked candidates to ascertain if they fall into the priority categories of freight task, medical reasons or carers, employment (essential services) and emergency services.

Priority candidates will be booked in at the earliest possible date for a test at an available site.

The department is also working with older drivers that are ordinarily required to undertake a medical assessment or Practical Driving Assessment to prove their fitness to drive.

The Department of Transport is looking to introduce a manual process that can be offered to older clients that are unable to undertake their medical assessment for their driver’s licence. 

Furthermore, drivers that require a new photograph when renewing their licence will be temporarily excused from this requirement so visitation to licensing centres is minimised.