Motorists will soon be able to complete a statutory declaration verifying their fitness to drive rather than attend a medical assessment, as recognised in the inaugural 2015 Red Tape Reduction Report Card under the latest State Government efforts to slash red tape.

Transport Minister Dean Nalder said the Department of Transport (DoT) was working on a number of initiatives to reduce paperwork, time and cost for businesses and the community.

Mr Nalder said allowing electronic lodgement of assessments would reduce the administrative burden on medical practices by enabling up to 200,000 applications to be completed online.

“These two new measures, due to be implemented next year, will not only allow for a quicker exchange of information from medical practitioners to the department, but reduce the impost to an anticipated 60,000 drivers having to undergo a medical assessment,” he said.

“Drivers who fail to satisfy the department of their continued fitness to drive via this declaration process will be required to undergo a full medical assessment with their doctor, along with new drivers to Western Australia, taxi and bus drivers and people aged 80 years and older.”

Mr Nalder said a new service called DoTDirect for business would allow a number of licensing transactions to be completed online at any time, including updates to vehicle and business details and registration payment.

“Through DoTDirect, heavy vehicle owners can update their National Heavy Vehicle category with a click of a button rather than manually completing forms every time, which is time consuming and a great administrative burden for businesses and government,” he said.

Other transport red tape reduction initiatives include:

• allowing businesses to pay for and receive complex permits more quickly from Main Roads online, such as single trip extra mass and single trip permits
• increasing the aircraft licence period from one to five years
• removing barriers for people in remote communities to obtain or maintain a driver’s licence.

Finance Minister Bill Marmion said these initiatives all featured in the 2015 Red Tape Reduction Report Card released this week, which highlighted the progress the State Government has made to improve processes across all industries.

“By cutting red tape, we can reduce barriers to investment, drive economic growth and improve the living standards of West Australians,” Mr Marmion said.