Underage P-platers upgraded to open licences prematurely in costly glitch

In the latest embarrassing bungle for Transport and Main Roads, a major glitch has been discovered that inadvertently upgrades some P-platers to open licences prematurely, including before they were old enough.

Minister for Transport and Main Roads Bart Mellish. Picture David Clark

A major decade-long glitch impacting P-platers has been discovered within Transport and Main Roads’ antiquated system, in the latest embarrassing bungle for the department.

The tech-based blunder has pushed Transport Minister Bart Mellish to confirm $8m will be pumped into finding a replacement option for TMR’s 30-year-old platform.

It can be revealed some P-platers have been inadvertently upgraded to open licences prematurely, including before they were old enough, allowing them to drive larger and faster vehicles and carry more passengers.

The issue dates back to 2013 when the state government introduced minimum age requirements for P plates and open licences.

So far 86 impacted licence holders have been identified, with those who should still be on a provisional licence to be issued new documentation.

This is the latest in a string of embarrassing bungles for TMR, which in 2023 included incorrect issuing of double-demerit points for drivers who broke seatbelts rules and a traffic light priority system for paramedics being broken for five months before the issue was detected.

The independent review into the double-demerit flaw, released to the Sunday Mail, revealed the total number of impacted drivers was 2808 — higher than the initial 1800 figure released.

Investigators concluded the error was caused by an update to TMR’s TRAIL system in late 2021 — completed in haste to meet a publicly announced deadline — which went undetected.

They also found deficiencies in TMR’s tech testing regimen, collaboration between responsible teams, over-reliance on contractors, and complex legislation were factors.

Speaking at a press conference on Sunday, Mr Mellish conceded the continued failures of the system were simply “not good enough”.

“So we’re investing $8 million to look at options for how we can improve the system going forward,” he said.

“There’s been a number of issues that have come to light.

“We’ve had reports on that, we’re releasing those reports. I want to be open and transparent about this. A new minister with a new director general, we’re taking a new approach to these issues.”

The Department is in the process of contacting dozens of open licence holders who should still be on a provisional licence.

“We’ve detected a number of instances of that and that’s very disappointing,” Mr Mellish said.

“As the incoming minister you expect the system to be functioning properly and expect it to be functioning well.

“And whether we’re talking IT errors, human errors or a combination of those, I firstly want to get to the bottom of what caused those issues and secondly we need to implement processes and we need to implement accountability in the department so these issues don’t happen again.”

The TRAIL system was first installed in 1993 — just years after the internet was born — with new parts tacked on over the decade leading to a clunky platform which investigators warned needed to be replaced.

According to the report TMR had previously attempted to replace the legacy system but this didn’t go ahead due to a “combination of significant business risk and costs”.

A separate report in the Emergency Vehicle Priority system — which ensure first responders hit green lights on the way to their destination — reaffirmed it was caused by an IP address typo.

Traffic lights controlled by Brisbane City Council were offline from the EVP system between October 2022 and March 2023 without anyone realising.

Investigators found parts of the system were never properly transitioned from when the pilot project was launched in 2017, with the organisations involved like TMR, BCC and Queensland Police focusing on their own parts of the system at the expense of the harmony of the whole.

“The system supporting EVP is already on track for modernisation – and today I am putting $8 million on the table to investigate a new, digital solution for Queensland’s registration and licencing system,” Mr Mellish said.

“It’s time for a new system, which is easy to use, easy to change, and is fit-for-purpose in today’s digital world.

“I will also be speaking with the Director General of Transport and Main Roads and outlining to her my expectation that senior staff will be accountable for ensuring these types of errors are identified earlier, are eliminated and do not recur”.