A dedicated mobile service established by the Department of Transport (DoT) to improve access to driver and vehicle licensing is celebrating 10 years of assisting customers in some of the State's most isolated locations.
The DoT mobile service is operated by Remote Services Officers who drive out to locations that are considerable distances from DoT Regional Offices or Driver and Vehicle Services Agent sites, including remote Aboriginal communities.
Over the past decade, officers based in Broome, Karratha, Geraldton and Kalgoorlie have made more than 2,280 visits to 139 locations throughout the Mid-West, Gascoyne, Kimberley, Pilbara and Goldfields-Esperance regions, building strong relationships with the communities they service.
During these visits, 2,743 driver's licences were issued or reissued, and more than 4,000 practical driving assessments and 3,180 theory tests were conducted across all licence classes.
Approximately 3,870 learner's permits were also issued or re-issued, more than 3,000 addresses were updated and approximately 1,950 photo cards were processed.
Last year, five additional Remote Services Officer positions to service the Kimberley, Mid-West and Pilbara regions were funded through the State Government's Driving Access and Equity Program to increase licensing and driver education services.
As stated by Transport Minister Rita Saffioti:
"Over the past 10 years, the Department of Transport's mobile service delivery team have travelled to some of the most isolated parts of our State, including Kiwirrkurra, which at nearly 1,330 kilometres from Karratha, is considered one of the most remote communities in Australia.
"Through their regular visits across challenging terrain, and in a variety of weather conditions, Remote Services Officers have given thousands of people in regional and remote WA the convenience and confidence they needed to get their driver's licence.
"Having a driver's licence in the parts of our vast State visited by the Remote Services team is essential for accessing health, education and social services and is a requirement for many jobs.
"Over 10 years of mobile service delivery, the Department of Transport has built trust and confidence within the communities it visits, and I look forward to this greatly beneficial service continuing for many more years."
