Tassie will have an influx of P-platers as testing resumes

Almost 2000 learner drivers will be upgrading their licence and hitting the road solo without parents or teachers in the car, as provisional testing resumes across the state.

ALMOST 2000 Tasmanians waiting to try get a provisional licence will soon be contacted to book in their driving test.

Infrastructure and Transport Minister Michael Ferguson said the restart of practical driving assessments was being progressively rolled out, beginning with Hobart, Launceston and Burnie this week.

Assessors will prioritise those that were put on hold during the pandemic before new bookings are accepted.

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Mr Ferguson said new industry-specific COVID-19 safety guidelines would be in place during tests and extra assistance would be given to help move through the backlog of 1800 bookings.

“We are employing more government driver assessors to cut down wait times. These additional assessors will come online mid-June,” he said.

“This will mean we can move through the backlog more quickly, and those in the line have the chance to progress towards their provisional licence, minimising delay as much as possible.”

Qualified private driving instructors will also be authorised to conduct assessments while eligible learner drivers will be able to access to a free government-funded driving lesson with a qualified instructor.