Father blasts driving test bias

NZTA has launched a national probe after complaints surfaced in Masterton about a testing officer favouring an individual driving instructor in the town. FILE PHOTO

The New Zealand Transport Agency has launched a national investigation after complaints were raised in Masterton about a driver testing officer steering failed candidates towards an individual driving instructor in the town.

Masterton businessman and father Stephen Yeats said his son had twice failed his restricted driver licensing test in Masterton in July. After the second attempt the testing officer had left the business card of a Masterton driving instructor with the teen.

Mr Yeats found there were up to five instructors working in Wairarapa and he said the endorsement of one over others seemed "a conflict of interest, especially for somebody working for the government".

He had accompanied his son on his third and ultimately successful run at the licence, he said, which was completed only after the teen had paid for a single class with the referred instructor.

"It was odd that on the third attempt the tester asked before we started if my son had had gone to see the trainer. I thought the question was irrelevant," Mr Yeats said. "But he had paid for one lesson with the professional trainer, and suddenly that was enough to get him his licence," he said.

"It cost me hundreds to get my boy over the line, so I made a complaint to put a stop to what had happened to us and keep other parents going through the same thing. It's expensive to raise kids as it is, without having to pay to go through all these extra hoops."

An NZTA spokesman told Mr Yeats "we do not condone singling out certain providers or the handing out of business cards during an applicant's test" and promised the complaint would be investigated.

Almost three weeks later, at his enquiry, he was told that "promoting one driving instructor over another is not allowed and this has been raised appropriately".

Mr Yeats said a friend, who declined to be named, weeks later told him their son had also failed a driving test and a similar "fishy" situation had arisen.

"They said the driving instructor was on site, and if they booked immediately there would be a discount."

Mr Yeats made a second complaint and was told that despite the testing officer being counselled and forbidden from handing out business cards "it would appear this is still happening".

NZTA senior customer access representative Alex McMinn told Mr Yeats the agency believed the wrongful practice "may be more widespread" and an investigation would be launched "at both a local and national level to ensure all testing officers are aware that handing out business cards for driving instructors is not acceptable and must stop".

NZTA customer information acting manager Carla Ferguson had earlier told the Times-Age in response to an Official Information Act request the testing officer had, after the initial complaint, admitted he had handed out business cards "in an effort to be helpful to applicants who failed their test".

"The testing officer was not aware that this was inappropriate and assured us he will not do it again."

She said there had been no similar complaints raised about testing officers in Masterton in the past several years although there had been in the same period 14 formal complaints made against testing officers in the town, including 11 disputing the reason for failure and three regarding the manner of the testing officer.