Central Hawke's Bay Mayor Peter Butler said this was a serious issue, for more than just the inconvenience it caused.
"The problem is these kids can't get there, and so not being able to get there means they drive without a licence, and then wind up getting a criminal offence."
Mr Butler also pointed out some people from his region simply couldn't afford to sit the test the first time, let alone re-sit should they fail.
"Where are people going to get that money from?"
The minimum cost of getting a driver's licence is $338.20.
Mr Butler said he couldn't understand why the tests couldn't be done locally, and asked why his constituents had to travel 50km to sit their licence.
Owner of Chris White Auto Electrical, Chris White, said he was able to run practical tests until 2013, but he was never really given a reason why this was stopped.
Mr White said those living in rural areas who sat tests in urban centres were at a big disadvantage. "They learn to drive around Waipuk and then have to do the test somewhere else.
"People come in to book their tests but they all look a bit disheartened."
Mr White said driving instructors used to go out to Waipukurau and do all-day testing.
He pointed out it was not only younger people affected by the lack of licensing agents, but also older people whose licences had expired.
Mr White said he had tried to change how licensing was done in his area, but nothing came of it.
"We went to the council because we need those bigger to do something.
"They're not going to listen to just me, jumping up and down and causing a fuss."
A Wairoa licensing agent said, to sit a licence test, two people, the driver and licensed companion, often had to take an entire day off which could mean a day off from wages. She called it "unfair".
She said people learning to drive were used to driving around Wairoa, but, when they got to urban centres, the driving conditions were very different.
People could still sit their learners' at the Wairoa WoF Centre,
Central Hawke's Bay College principal Lance Christiansen said his school aimed to get all the 16-year-olds their learner licence next year through a pilot project. The school had run driving programmes previously, but this was designed specifically to help rural kids, because getting a licence was so different in that area.
"Its an important qualification that our kids don't have access to."
He said it was an inconvenience for kids to travel a 100km round trip to practice in urban centres, and sit the tests there.
AA spokesman Liam Baldwin said these issues were faced by a lot of people living in rural areas.
"Some of those populations are leaner, so its more difficult to justify putting a centre there."
