Success with Drivers Licensing Programme

TUMU Timbers successfully facilitated a partnership with the Got Drive Trust allowing Timbers and Frame & Truss employees to progress onto their next driving licence. 

The Got Drive Trust was established to deliver needs-based driver licensing programs for communities within HB and Central HB.  The focus of the trust is on individuals who have the driving experience to sit the next licence (whether that be restricted or a full licence) but don’t necessarily have the time, means, connections or resources to organise it.  The Trust provide funded opportunity (with the support of the HB Regional Council) for a participant to have up to 3 lessons plus an additional lesson immediately prior to the test, all free of charge to the individual.  They also provide a vehicle that is warranted and registered for use during the lessons and the test, something that’s often a barrier to some.  The only cost the individual needs to cover is that of the test itself.

Timbers managed to arrange spaces on Got Drive's program for staff members who were interested and allowed employees to re-pay the cost of their test via wage deductions over a few weeks, making the cost more manageable for those who could have found one large payment difficult. Later, Timbers also made this opportunity open to whanau members with payment via wage deduction still available.

At the conclusion of the recent program, there have been 33 successful participants, 25 staff and 8 whanau, (Deon Uncles pictured) which included the sitting of 18 full and 15 restricted licences. There are also another 6 who are ready to continue on the program once they meet their time frames on their licences.

Some of our really empowering success stories include participants who have been sitting on their current licence from 3 years up to 20 years! 

Providing the opportunity and encouragement has allowed Timbers employees to progress onto the next licence, and for some this meant they could now drive to work legally, become safer drivers and eliminate their risk of being caught on an incorrect licence.