Service SA changes to stop spread

The Marshall Government has introduced a raft of measures in Service SA centres as part of its strong plan to help stop the spread of the coronavirus.

Key changes include measures to;

  • Ease the burden on medical professionals;
  • Enable more transactions to be done online;
  • Ensure appropriate social distancing in centres; and,
  • Waive some transaction fees for customers unable to complete a transaction due to circumstances relating to the COVID-19 virus.

“Our first and foremost priority is the health and wellbeing of South Australians and that’s why we are changing the way we deliver services at Service SA centres,” said Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Local Government Stephan Knoll.

“We are temporarily halting the need for people to attend a medical practitioner to complete a Certificate of Fitness to retain a driver’s licence.

“This will reduce the health risk to the many elderly drivers who need to obtain a Certificate of Fitness and are most vulnerable members of our community to coronavirus.

“Our medical practitioners are working tirelessly and this measure will help ease their workload so they can focus their energies where they need to be.

“We are also moving more transactions online that currently have to be undertaken in store, so people can scan through documents, send emails and conduct transactions over the phone.

“We are encouraging more people to do more online, so they don’t have to attend a centre unnecessarily. “Hundreds of thousands of people pass through Service SA doors each year and where possible we can reduce the number of people who have to attend a centre to conduct basic transactions.

“We will also waive some fees, including late fees, if people could not attend a centre or conduct their transaction due to self-isolation or other circumstances relating to the COVID-19 virus.

“Service SA is also implementing strict rules around social distancing, reducing class sizes for those taking tests and increasing its cleaning processes.”

Medical and Certificate of Fitness changes:

The need for people to attend a medical practitioner to complete a Certificate of Fitness to retain a driver’s licence has been temporarily halted to ease the load on the state’s medical system.

Under the Motor Vehicles Act 1959, the driver of a motor vehicle is required to meet certain medical and eyesight standards in order to be the holder of, or continue to be the holder of, a learner’s permit or driver’s licence.

These measures will also reduce the need for those most at risk to the serious effects of COVID-19, should they contract it, or those needing to self-isolate from visiting public areas.

The temporary measures include:

  • Extend time to submit medicals currently issued, until further notice
  • Halt reminder notices for overdue medicals until further notice
  • Hold licence suspensions for failing to submit a medical until further notice
  • Temporarily halt the issue for medicals for the next two weeks
  • Halt, until further notice, the issuing of medicals to licence holders turning 70 years of age with a class other than a C class and those 71 years or older with no medical condition recorded.

In addition, applications for Disability Parking Permits will continue as normal, with a medical practitioner required to confirm an applicant’s eligibility.

DPTI will advise affected licence holders when they will need to submit their next Certificate of Fitness.

Move to online services:

The range of transactions normally requiring attendance at a centre which are now able to be undertaken via other methods, include:

  • Customers seeking to re-obtain a cancelled licence following a period of disqualification, can email their completed application form to Service SA.
  • Customers seeking to transfer registration of a vehicle, cycle or trailer, can submit their application electronically via email.
  • Customers can submit an application for cancellation of registration via email. In these instances, they will be exempt from the requirement to surrender their number plates.
  • For these transactions scanned application forms can be emailed to [email protected]. More information can be found at service.sa.gov.au
  • Customers seeking to renew the registration of a vehicle that requires an inspection (e.g. Ride Share vehicle), can do so by ringing the contact centre.
  • Customers who have ordered replacement number plates and have nominated to collect plates from a CSC, can contact Service SA and request that these plates be posted to the address that is currently recorded and the postage fee can be waived.
  • Customers seeking concession rates on their driver’s licence or registration can now do so over the phone if they provide verbal consent for Service SA to check their entitlement using Centrelink Confirmation eServices.
  • Where a customer is unable to complete a medical self-assessment online, they can now call the Service SA contact centre to complete the transaction.
  • Where a customer calls the Service SA contact centre to complete a licence renewal and a new photo is required, an extension to the expiry date of the photo (currently 10 years) can be obtained to allow the licence renewal to be completed.

Waiving of fees:

A number of instances have been identified where a customer may incur a late fee, or the need to pay a higher administrative fee, as they were unable to complete a transaction due to self-isolation or other circumstances relating to the COVID-19 virus. To assist these customers, the following arrangements have been out in place:

  • Where an Unregistered Vehicle Permit has been issued but is unable to be used on the date specified as result of a person being in isolation, prior to the permit commencing, the fee for the permit can be refunded.
  • If a customer is in self-isolation and fails to acknowledge the first Notice of Disqualification within 28 days of the Notice generation date, the first notice will be withdrawn and a new second Notice of Disqualification will be issued. The service fee for this second notice can be waived.
  • If a customer has been unable to complete an application for transfer of registration within 14 days, the late fee may be waived.
  • If a customer provides less than 24 hours’ notice of a cancellation for a vehicle inspection booking, the administration fee normally payable can be waived

General changes:

At Service SA centres, 1.5m separation lines have been implemented for customers at counters, seating has been separated to support social distancing protocols and assisted self-service has been suspended at the Adelaide and Tranmere centres to ensure social distancing protocols can be appropriately modelled.

There are also restrictions on how many customers can enter a centre at any time, based on the size of the centre (in line with protocols for indoor gatherings).

Service SA staff have also been reminded to regularly wipe down all areas, and customers who are unwell when they present to centres are being asked not to enter.

Service SA is also reducing the number of bookings allowed for learner theory, hazard perception and boat licence tests to reduce the number of customers sitting in close proximity.

Learner theory tests for overseas licences are not being booked for at least 14 days from the date of request, to ensure the customer has exceeded the time period required for self-isolation.

Bookings requiring interpreter services are not being accepted until further notice.

Class sizes for basic and advanced Rider Safe courses have been halved to ensure acceptable social distancing measures can be put in place. Courses conducted at Millicent are currently suspended.

Customers are also being advised to bring their own helmets.

All of these measures are being taken to ensure the highest levels of service can be maintained, while also following current medical advice to help stop the spread of the COVID-10 virus. Introducing these measures may impact on wait times at centres.

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