Oh Dear... Oh Dear...
I recently discovered... I was politely told by some of the people
at the Bedford Rally last Labour Weekend...
That I needed a Class II... Or Heavy Traffic license to drive my housebus.
Oh No... What a dilemma.
I had been merrily driving it since I bought it in April...
On a car or Class I license!
So... I spent the weeks I was in Christchurch
swotting up the road code, and in particular the questions
about heavy vehicles.
I hope you can enlarge these photos enough to read them...
The questions are very interesting, mostly relating to
heavy trucks... But I needed to know them.
I bought some 'tests' online and thoroughly practised
until I was sure I would pass.
I needed a medical certificate...
Then off I went to AA...
And duly got my 'Learners' license...
with a 100% pass... Hurray!
Next I needed to get a full license... Before I could drive again.
The options were:
keep my learners license for six months and only drive with a person
who has held a full HT license for two years... Or...
Do a two day course.
Well the choice was obvious!
So after several phone calls I found Steve...
He was willing to do a course with me... Immediately.
It only took us 1/2 a day...
The theory was like being back at kindergarten...
And of course I could already drive my 'heavy vehicle'.
So 'Learners' last Monday...
Full HT on Wednesday...
Didn't take long...
So now I have my HT license and am legally on the road again.
You might be interested in the cost of this exercise:
Road Code book 25.50
Medical Cert 80.00
Learners Licence - done at AA 93.90
Steve 600.00
Full License - at AA 49.60
Total 849.00
The license costs are set by the government...
Steve's price was the cheapest anywhere...
He pays $200 for the manuals and workbooks we used and
because it is all done as 'Unit Standards' he pays $7 a unit to register them on my student number.
It's a total rip off... the manuals should be online.
It's like the road code book... Every time there is a change...
They all need to be reprinted.
Somebody's making a huge profit.
Another thing I found out - if you can't afford a 2 day course
and choose to do a 26 week course through an approved provider
then those who are unemployed become an employed student.
This manipulates the unemployed numbers... The government likes this!!!
Congratulations on your new licence.
ReplyDeleteA wonderful achievement and you did it so well!
And as for the damn government. Well they'll get their comeuppance...
Well done, are you able to say how to contact Steve?
ReplyDeleteI found Steve through looking online at VTNZ Driving Licenses. Then go to approved Course Providers, Look in the Bay of Plenty list... And you will find him.
DeleteI just did a three day course to get mine. My licence test was also the first time I had driven a large truck. Amazingly, passed.
ReplyDelete