Exemption: DENIED.

**samgab** · 14th March 2009, 15:29

I work shift work, and my shift schedule has recently changed.
So now, 6 nights of every fortnight, I finish work either just after 10pm or just before 5am.
I'm on my restricted, and have never had a motorcycle crash or ticket (where I was the rider, pillion not counted). I'm now 31yo, and relatively responsible.
I got together all of the information required by the LTSA, or NZTA as it's called now:

Map of my route home from work.
Exact times/days I would need to travel home (13Kms distance) outside correct hours.
Letter from me explaining the job I do (111 emergency callcentre) and why the job requires such shift hours.
Explanation of the reason I can't catch a bus (none run between my house and work in those hours).
Letter from my Boss (Police inspector) corroborating my letter.

In short, everything required to apply for an exemption.

Paid the $22.20 to put in the application.

4 weeks later, yesterday, received a reply from Helen Scoon of the Transport Registry Centre:
Declined.
Exemptions are not granted for reasons of convenience.
The conditions of the class 6 restricted licence are not unreasonable or inappropriate in my particular case, it seems.

I have to say this seems fairly ridiculous.
I can ride safely at 10pm or 5am, and can ride just as safely at 11pm, or 4am.

Helen goes on to suggest that I take an approved driving course to reduce the time on my Restricted, and wait until I can go for my full.
Trouble is, my shift work hours also make attending the Street Talk courses impossible, as they clash with my shifts, and I can't get time off, the lead time for applications for leave is over 6 Months at work.

Which brings me to another point, which I'll raise in a subsequent post to keep it separate from this rant...

**xwhatsit** · 14th March 2009, 15:31

Do you have a car license? This seems to count against it in these cases (i.e. you could drive, you're not only able to use your bike).

**fireliv** · 14th March 2009, 15:31

That is absolutly pathetic!!!

Can you appeal the decision as such? Get it reviewed by someone else? How long till u can get your full?

I have heard of people getting an exemption for riding bikes out of there limit all the time, but you are just asking to go to work so whats the prob.

**discotex** · 14th March 2009, 15:39

Sometimes it's easier to ask for forgiveness than permission.

I'd just risk it and hope that if you get pulled over outside hours the cop is understanding.

**samgab** · 14th March 2009, 15:48

In the letter from Helen of the Transport Registry Centre, it is suggested that I peruse the (enclosed) "Factsheet 66" to see which approved courses exist to reduce the time spent on the Restricted licence.
I'm 31 as mentioned above, so in my case that would be from 6 to 3 Months.
The two approved courses are Street Talk and Defensive Driving.
I read the weblinks provided on the factsheet, and there is no Defensive Driving course specific to Motorbikes. A defensive driving course is a defensive driving course, as long as it is provided by an approved agency, such as PassRite.
Also, there is no mention anywhere on any of their fact sheets or web pages to indicate that these Defensive Driving course certificates ever expire.
So I have already done a Defensive driving course, when I was going for my CAR licence, back in 1994.
So I rang the NZTA to see if I can use that certificate in the case of reducing my class 6 wait time as well.
"Oh no", says the guy who answers the phone....
"There are special defensive driving courses just for motorbikes."
"According to your fact sheet 66", I reply, "There is just the one kind of defensive driving course for both class 1 and 6."
"Let me check... Oh yes, you're right"
"Well, can you please direct me to the website link that specifies the life span of the qualifications from these courses, and when the certificates from them expire?"
"Hold on, let me check..."
***Hold music for 10 minutes***
"They don't expire, I don't think"
"Great, so I can use my defensive driving certificate I got for my car licence to reduce the time for my motorbike licence too?"
"No, I don't think so"
"Why not?"
"When did that certificate get issued?"
"June, 1994."
"No, I don't think you can use that. Driving rules have changed a lot since then."
"But the principles of driving defensively haven't, and you just told me they don't expire."
***Insert circular reasoning of this nature for a few minutes here***
Eventually the guy says:
"Well, just bring it in to the AA when you apply for your full licence, and they'll fax it down to us to see if it's okay."
"But I'd prefer not to go all the way out there, pay the fees, book the test, have the certificate faxed, only to be told (inevitably) that it's not acceptable and I'll have to wait another 3 Months before I can sit my full: Can't I just fax the certificate straight to you and get a definite answer first?"
"Oh no, it'll be much easier to just bring it in on the day..."
etc.

So I have no idea if my 1994 defensive driving cert will count. I'm guessing probably not. The street talk course is nearly $200, and the hours it's run preclude me from attending.
The guy I spoke to seems to think it will be easier for me to ride all the way out to the AA, queue up for about an hour (no jokes, I queued for well over an hour last time I went in to hand over my forms that I'd already filled in online, but had to hand in in person.), wait for them to fax the forms through, only to be told to go away and come back in 3 Months or do a fresh course!!
Very frustrating, to say the least.
Phew. Rant out.

**ital916** · 14th March 2009, 15:48

You have a particularly important job as well mate, that helen scoon lady is a twat, trust me I got the denied letter too and I had like six corroborating letters. Some dick will write in an be like, i need to get to uni and I have to ride 50kms and get an exemption. You should lodge a complaint.

**hedcase07** · 14th March 2009, 15:49

Funnily enough i had mine declined last week by the same person for the same reason and i have the same problem with work times and being able to attend a driving course as im in shift work too lol. bad time to be applying maybe lmao, not too worried tho as 1 month to go till i can legally ride and crash lmao..

**samgab** · 14th March 2009, 15:58

Originally Posted by xwhatsit

Do you have a car license? This seems to count against it in these cases (i.e. you could drive, you're not only able to use your bike).

Yes, you're right, that was probably the main thing.
I do have a car licence.
There are various reasons why it's better not to drive, but end of the day, when push comes to shove, I can drive in to work.
That, more than anything, was probably what made them decide it was merely a convenience thing.

I still think it's pathetic.
I've been driving, almost every day for over 16 years. In all that time, I've had one minor ding. I've only ever had one speeding ticket, and that was about 13 years ago. I have no points on my licence. I drive regularly very late at night or very early in the morning, and I'm both familiar with travelling during those hours, and am not new to riding, I'm a comfortable and - in my own opinion - fairly competent rider. What I mean is, I don't struggle to keep my balance, or work out how to work the clutch or the gear levers or the brakes. I don't have to think over who is supposed to give way to whom or who has right of way at any given intersection.

I'd say it's MUCH MORE dangerous riding in rush hour, or into sun strike (or, as is often the case; both at the same time), than at 4am when the roads are quiet.

**mattian** · 14th March 2009, 16:01

It seems utterly absurd. Are the roads considered more dangerous during those prohibited hours for learners and restricted licence holders? and, if thats the reason....... then why? In my humble opinion there is much less traffic on the roads making it (probably) a little safer for the less experienced rider.

**Jantar** · 14th March 2009, 16:01

Ohhh FAIR GO

**samgab** · 14th March 2009, 16:10

Originally Posted by fireliv

That is absolutly pathetic!!!

Can you appeal the decision as such? Get it reviewed by someone else? How long till u can get your full?

I have heard of people getting an exemption for riding bikes out of there limit all the time, but you are just asking to go to work so whats the prob.

Originally Posted by Drider87

You have a particularly important job as well mate, that helen scoon lady is a twat, trust me I got the denied letter too and I had like six corroborating letters. Some dick will write in an be like, i need to get to uni and I have to ride 50kms and get an exemption. You should lodge a complaint.

I can appeal to have the decision reviewed, but that would mean applying in writing to the District Court.
I don't know if this means paying yet more money, but I've had my restricted for 3 Months already, so if my 1994 defensive driving cert still applies I can sign up to sit my full pretty much straight away; and therefore I don't know if it's worth the hassle of appealing. By the time the appeal is over I could have already had my full for a while, I'm guessing.
And they're probably counting on me thinking that.
$22.20 for a letter saying "NO" thank you

I honestly didn't expect to get declined, after reading about these people who apply for exemptions for all sorts of things and have them approved, like bigger capacity bikes and what-not.
I wouldn't even have bothered applying for the exemption if my work shifts hadn't changed. I'm happy to comply with all the other rules and regulations of the restricted licence - I'm not in a rush for a bigger capacity bike. Because of where I work, I have to be careful to abide by the law, so just have to suck it in and leave the bike in the garage.
Use up unnecessary petrol, emissions, carpark.

**RocKai** · 14th March 2009, 16:14

it's the Law it's not a Consumer Product lol. Good try.

**Okey Dokey** · 14th March 2009, 16:23

I guess you could just go ahead and ride your bike without the exemption and hope that you don't attract the attention of the police.

And if you did get pulled up, perhaps the cop would be lenient...

It is frustrating for you.

**hedcase07** · 14th March 2009, 16:27

i believe that for a dd cert to be eligable it has to be sat after gaining your restricted licence but i may be wrong.

**jrandom** · 14th March 2009, 16:28

If you're commuting very late at night and/or early in the morning, why this desire to take the bike rather than the car? In the absence of rush hour traffic, four wheels will get you there just as quickly as two, and you don't have to get rained on or change in and out of your riding gear, etc.

Contrary to popular learner-licence opinion, nobody is secretly watching and handing out Biker Awesomeness Tokens just because you use a motorcycle to get to work.

Denying the exemption seems pretty reasonable to me.