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Australian Driving Test

Australian Driving Test

Old Apr 2nd 2002, 11:05 am
  #16  
Joseph McDonnel
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Default Re: Australian Driving Test

Roger Martin wrote:

    > "Joseph McDonnell" <[email protected]> wrote in message
    > news:[email protected]...
    > >
    > >
    > > Raffi Balmanoukian wrote:
    > >
    > > > in article [email protected], dugongs at
    > [email protected]
    > > > wrote on 4/1/02 4:35 AM:
    > > >
    > > > > In Qld, despite 10 years of UK driving, I had to sit the written multiple
    > > > > choice test and do a complete practical test taking about an hour and as
    > > > > comprehensive as the UK one I passed 10 years earlier. Anyone that thinks
    > > > > that it is a walk in the park is kidding themselves and try to imagine
    > > > > sitting your Uk test again after all those years of learning bad habits etc.
    > > > >
    > > > > There are positives in terms of refreshing your driving skills but
    > quite
    > > > > frankly i think it is a bit over the top.
    > > >
    > > > The irony is those rules are the same (as I understand it) for any
    > overseas
    > > > license - in your case, you've driven on the left side of the road all
    > the
    > > > time, but I would be issued a temporary license (in SA anyway) just on
    > the
    > > > basis of the written test although all my instincts are reversed! (well, they
    > > > were for a while anyway...)
    > >
    > > Maybe I'm missing something here, but if someone migrates to Oz, he/she
    > has to
    > > undergo a test, but if that same person comes to Oz as a short-term
    > visitor, he
    > > does not. If a short-term visitor is considered safe enough to be allowed
    > on the
    > > roads, so should the immigrant i.e. he should be able to obtain a licence without
    > > a test. When I moved to Holland, I obtained a Dutch licence
    > simply by
    > > surrendering my Australian one.
    > >
    > > Just my 2 Euro-cents
    > >
    > > Regards
    > >
    > > Joseph
    > >
    > Does seem a bit crazy, I'm not sure where and how Australia got into the additional
    > testing of migrants (I took only a written test in 1980) but I think it came about
    > due to a couple of things. Migrants were coming from countries where a driving
    > licence was purchased as a means of raising government revenue, secondly there was
    > widespread fraudulant issuing of drivers licences in some countries. Now Australia
    > being the caring multi cultural society that we are - we could not single out
    > countries which had "good" and "bad" driving tests or no tests. So we just test
    > everyone, voila, no racial overtones or persecuting an individual because he/she
    > came from a third world country.

But does this hold true in other areas? For example, would a doctor from (say) the UK
gain registration quicker than one from a third world country?

Roger, where did you get your licence with just a written test? I know my mother got
hers with a written test, but that was early in the 60's.

Joseph
 
Old Apr 2nd 2002, 11:35 am
  #17  
Dave Noble
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Default Re: Australian Driving Test

On Tue, 02 Apr 2002 12:57:09 +0200, Joseph McDonnell <[email protected]> wrote:

    >
    >
    >Dave Noble wrote:
    >
    >> On Tue, 02 Apr 2002 10:53:28 +0200, Joseph McDonnell <[email protected]> wrote:
    >>
    >> >
    >> >
    >> >Raffi Balmanoukian wrote:
    >> >
    >> >> in article [email protected], dugongs at [email protected]
    >> >> wrote on 4/1/02 4:35 AM:
    >> >>
    >> >> > In Qld, despite 10 years of UK driving, I had to sit the written multiple
    >> >> > choice test and do a complete practical test taking about an hour and as
    >> >> > comprehensive as the UK one I passed 10 years earlier. Anyone that thinks
    >> >> > that it is a walk in the park is kidding themselves and try to imagine
    >> >> > sitting your Uk test again after all those years of learning bad habits etc.
    >> >> >
    >> >> > There are positives in terms of refreshing your driving skills but quite
    >> >> > frankly i think it is a bit over the top.
    >> >>
    >> >> The irony is those rules are the same (as I understand it) for any overseas
    >> >> license - in your case, you've driven on the left side of the road all the
    >> >> time, but I would be issued a temporary license (in SA anyway) just on the
    >> >> basis of the written test although all my instincts are reversed! (well, they
    >> >> were for a while anyway...)
    >> >
    >> >Maybe I'm missing something here, but if someone migrates to Oz, he/she has to
    >> >undergo a test, but if that same person comes to Oz as a short-term visitor, he
    >> >does not. If a short-term visitor is considered safe enough to be allowed on the
    >> >roads, so should the immigrant i.e. he should be able to obtain a licence without
    >> >a test. When I moved to Holland, I obtained a Dutch licence simply by
    >> >surrendering my Australian one.
    >>
    >> Driving test standards vary from country to country. There are international
    >> agreements around that allow visitors to drive on their own licences. I think it
    >> is perfectly reasonable that they ensure that long stayers have an acceptable
    >> knowledge of local driving laws and can demonstrate a competance to drive there.
    >>
    >> Dave
    >
    >Fair enough point, but both long and short stayers should have an acceptable
    >knowlerdge of local driving laws and can demonstrate sufficient competance. During
    >the 3 month 'run-in', period, long stayers will (hopefully) acquire these qualities.
    >
And should have little problem passing a test at this point..theoretically.

I had to take a Victoria test whilst living there , which I did manage to pass with
no problems, however whilst I was there there were a couple of other people doing
exactly the same thing, i.e. taking a crossover test and one of them failed on the
theory exam.

Dave
 
Old Apr 2nd 2002, 11:42 am
  #18  
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Joined: Jan 2002
Location: The Dandenongs
Posts: 349
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Default Re: Australian Driving Test

As we will be going to Melbourne on a temporary (4 year business) visa, I found this interesting on the Vicroads website :

"Drivers who do not hold a permanent Visa

May drive (or learn to drive) on an overseas licence/permit for an indefinite period, provided the licence/permit is in English or is accompanied by an English translation (an English translation in an International Driver Permit - issued to licence holders - is an acceptable translation). This applies even if age or other eligibility requirements to obtain a licence or permit in Victoria are not met. "

Does seem a bit crazy, I'm not sure where and how Australia got into the additional testing of migrants (I took only a written test in 1980) but I think it came about due to a couple of things. Migrants were coming from countries where a driving licence was purchased as a means of raising government revenue, secondly there was widespread fraudulant issuing of drivers licences in some countries. Now Australia being the caring multi cultural society that we are - we could not single out countries which had "good" and "bad" driving tests or no tests. So we just test everyone, voila, no racial overtones or persecuting an individual because he/she came from a third world country.
However, this 'politically correct' way of bundling all overseas licence holders together without favour to any group of countries does not seem to exist in Victoria. They have a list of 'Recognized Countries' - Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Netherlands
Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK, USA. Any licence holders of these countries only have to take the "road law knowledge test (LPT/KT2)", assuming their licence is "Current or invalid or expired for less than 5 years".

I Don't know how the other States/Territories differ, but I'm more than happy with Victoria's policy...

Cheers,
Paul.

Last edited by pread; Apr 2nd 2002 at 11:48 am.
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Old Apr 2nd 2002, 9:41 pm
  #19  
Roger Martin
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Posts: n/a
Default Re: Australian Driving Test

"Joseph McDonnell" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    >
    >
    > Roger Martin wrote:
    >
    > > "Joseph McDonnell" <[email protected]> wrote in message
    > > news:[email protected]...
    > > >
    > > >
    > > > Raffi Balmanoukian wrote:
    > > >
    > > > > in article [email protected], dugongs at
    > > [email protected]
    > > > > wrote on 4/1/02 4:35 AM:
    > > > >
    > > > > > In Qld, despite 10 years of UK driving, I had to sit the written multiple
    > > > > > choice test and do a complete practical test taking about
an
    > > > > > hour and as comprehensive as the UK one I passed 10 years earlier. Anyone
    > > > > > that thinks that it is a walk in the park is kidding
themselves
    > > > > > and try to imagine sitting your Uk test again after all those
years of
    > > > > > learning bad habits etc.
    > > > > >
    > > > > > There are positives in terms of refreshing your driving skills but
    > > quite
    > > > > > frankly i think it is a bit over the top.
    > > > >
    > > > > The irony is those rules are the same (as I understand it) for any
    > > overseas
    > > > > license - in your case, you've driven on the left side of the road
all
    > > the
    > > > > time, but I would be issued a temporary license (in SA anyway) just
on
    > > the
    > > > > basis of the written test although all my instincts are reversed!
(well,
    > > > > they were for a while anyway...)
    > > >
    > > > Maybe I'm missing something here, but if someone migrates to Oz,
he/she
    > > has to
    > > > undergo a test, but if that same person comes to Oz as a short-term
    > > visitor, he
    > > > does not. If a short-term visitor is considered safe enough to be
allowed
    > > on the
    > > > roads, so should the immigrant i.e. he should be able to obtain a
licence
    > > > without a test. When I moved to Holland, I obtained a Dutch licence
    > > simply by
    > > > surrendering my Australian one.
    > > >
    > > > Just my 2 Euro-cents
    > > >
    > > > Regards
    > > >
    > > > Joseph
    > > >
    > > Does seem a bit crazy, I'm not sure where and how Australia got into the
    > > additional testing of migrants (I took only a written test in 1980) but I
    > > think it
came
    > > about due to a couple of things. Migrants were coming from countries where a
    > > driving licence was purchased as a means of raising government revenue, secondly
    > > there was widespread fraudulant issuing of drivers licences in some countries.
    > > Now Australia being the caring multi cultural society that we are - we could not
    > > single out countries which had "good" and "bad" driving tests or no tests. So we
    > > just test everyone,
voila,
    > > no racial overtones or persecuting an individual because he/she came from a third
    > > world country.
    >
    > But does this hold true in other areas? For example, would a doctor from
(say)
    > the UK gain registration quicker than one from a third world country?
    >
I'm really not sure about that - certainly there is some sort of literacy testing of
people applying to some professions for registration. Mind you I've been in a public
hospital with a Scottish doctor and she was speaking a totally foreign language to me
- even though it was English.

I know quite a few trades people who always insist that overseas training is no good
and that plumbers/electricians etc must do a full 4 or 5 year course to become
qualified again. Seems a waste of talent to me, but I guess if I was electrocuted by
an electrician recently from Outer Mongolia I might have the same views - even if
they were post mortem LOL.

    > Roger, where did you get your licence with just a written test? I know my
mother
    > got hers with a written test, but that was early in the 60's.
    >
Ah, sorry I should have said that I exchanged my UK HGV I licence. Even that written
test was pretty slack - about 10 questions from distant memory.
 
Old Apr 3rd 2002, 9:07 am
  #20  
Roger Martin
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Default Re: Australian Driving Test

    > However, this 'politically correct' way of bundling all overseas licence holders
    > together without favour to any group of countries does not seem to exist in
    > Victoria. They have a list of 'Recognized Countries' - Austria, Belgium, Canada,
    > Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg,
    > Netherlands Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK, USA. Any licence
    > holders of these countries only have to take the "road law knowledge test
    > (LPT/KT2)", assuming their licence is "Current or invalid or expired for less than
    > 5 years".
    >
God help us - the Belgians have only just introduced driving tests - well in the
passed 20 years or so LOL.
 

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