KEY POINTS:
I'm aware that you need to apply for a New Zealand driver licence within 12 months of moving here from the UK. I have heard that you get a further 12- month extension if you leave New Zealand within the first year. As I recently returned to the
UK for three weeks, do I now get a 12-month extension, even though I have been here almost a year?
Zak Ruffin, Henderson.
The Road Code says that if you have a current and valid driver's licence from any country, or you have an international driving permit (IDP), you can drive for a maximum of 12 continuous months from the time you arrive in New Zealand. It goes on to state that each time you visit New Zealand, you may drive for a further 12-month period on your valid international licence or IDP, so long as you stay for no more than a year at a time. You can keep on doing this, even by popping over to Sydney for a weekend once a year, for example, but it's not as simple as it appears. You must be able to prove you left the country, presumably by producing your passport, you may not use your IDP or international licence for commercial purposes, and you may have insurance difficulties if you buy a car. The legislation is really intended for tourists, here on a short-term stay.
If your licence is not in English, you must carry an accurate English translation, or an IDP in English. An IDP costs $20 at an Automobile Association office, or $30 if you do it by mail.
It would be cheaper really to get a New Zealand licence, and save the cost of all those overseas trips.
Hospital Rd through Middlemore is becoming more and more the favoured bypass for traffic to and from Mangere/Otahuhu. The pedestrian crossing outside the hospital becomes the cause of lengthy queuing as staff and visitors nonchalantly use the crossing without any regard for traffic flow. Has any thought been given to installing pedestrian traffic lights?
John Bean, Auckland.
This section of road is administered by Middlemore Hospital itself, and as such, the first priority is to get people on foot safely in and out of the hospital. A spokeswoman for the hospital, Lauren Young, strongly suggests that if motorists are experiencing delays, they find themselves another route.
The evening rush hour traffic north from the Harbour Bridge usually flows smoothly until just short of the Takapuna offramp. Then it becomes bumper-to-bumper until just past the two-lane overbridge at Tristram Ave. Does Transit have any plans to address the congestion caused by this bridge?
Phillip Hughes, North Shore.
All good news. Transit is building an additional northbound lane from the Northcote Rd interchange to the Sunnynook Rd underpass. This will give three lanes on the Tristram Ave overpass, which will be widened, and make a three-lane stretch all the way to Constellation Drive. The extra lane will use part of the existing median, and the project is scheduled to be finished by late next year.
Do you have queries about public transport, roading projects, roadworks or how to get a driver's licence? Contact Phoebe Falconer at Get Moving, Editorial department, NZ Herald, PO Box 32, Auckland. Fax (09) 3736421 or email newsdesk@nzherald.co.nz. Include name and address.