The Queensland Government has announced an $8 million investment to review its current Transport Registration and Integrated Licensing System, after the 31-year-old structure suffered several technical failures in the past 12 months.
Minister for Transport and Main Roads and Minister for Digital Services, Bart Mellish, said the Transport and Main Roads department will soon go out to market with the opportunity to replace the current system introduced in 1993 with a new, modern and digitally enabled licencing and registration platform.
The system was deemed not “fit for purpose” according to a statement from the department, after it experienced widespread malfunctions including incorrectly issuing double demerit points through the Camera Detected Offence Program and hastily upgrading provisional licences to open licences, despite not reaching the required age or serving the correct provisional licence period.
“The current system is not good enough,” Mellish said.
“I expect more, and I believe the people of Queensland deserve a 21st century solution. Reviews have been undertaken into the Camera Detected Offence Program and Emergency Vehicle Priority (EVP) system issues reported in 2023, which identify a need to update the departments systems.
“The system supporting EVP is already on track for modernisation – and today I am putting $8 million on the table to investigate a new, digital solution for Queensland’s registration and licencing system.”
There have been 86 Queensland licence holders who were affected by the issue identified so far, with some affected as far back as 2013 when minimum age requirements for licences were first introduced by the Newman Government.
“It’s time for a new system, which is easy to use, easy to change, and is fit-for-purpose in today’s digital world,” the Minister said.
“Where issues like this are identified, I will always front up and tell Queenslanders. I have said that since day one.
“I will also be speaking with the Director General of Transport and Main Roads and outlining to her my expectation that senior staff will be accountable for ensuring these types of errors are identified earlier, are eliminated and do not recur.”
