Cook Islands Govt Cuts Bike Licence Fee

The motorbike licence fee for visitors has been slashed by more than half to $40.
The new fee, which came into effect yesterday, follows widespread condemnation of the controversial price hike last year.
The visitors will now have to pay $40 ($20 for testing and $20 for a licence) as opposed to $90 which was imposed in October last year.
During the question-and-answer session at parliament yesterday, Finance minister Mark Brown confirmed a meeting with Minister of Police Teariki Heather earlier in the morning where the decision to drop the fee to $40 was made.
Titikaveka Member of Parliament Selina Napa based her question on the article CI News ran last week that revealed the loss incurred by a local rental company following the hike in the licence fee.
Polynesian Rental Cars and Bikes general manager Arthur Pickering told this newspaper that he had to lay off some of his staff due to the repercussions to his business from the hike.
Napa asked the minister responsible for transport on whether they were working with the rental companies to find an amicable solution to the losses incurred from this increase.
Brown while responding to the question said the parties involved in yesterday’s meeting took into consideration the plea from the rental companies and agreed to bring the fee down.
“The rental company came forward and aired their views on the increase in fees for visitors in order to get their (motorbike) driving licence,” Brown said.
“We approached the Minister of Police and the police department on how we can reduce this fee to best address this issue for tourists to hire bikes from these rental companies.
“We came to the conclusion to bring it down to $20 (for testing and $20 for the licence).”
Visitors have been lately forced to fork out $90 ($70 testing fee and $20 for a visitor’s licence), compared to $30 in the past.
In an email to the local rental companies, Cook Islands Police Service corporate division informed of the changes to the driver’s licence testing fees for visitors.
It said the new fee includes a theory testing (written test) of $10 and $10 for the practical testing.
“No more handling courses will be conducted by police. All testing will be conducted at the Cook Islands Police headquarters,” the email stated.
Cook Islands Police Services had earlier stated that there would be “no reversal” to the hike in the motorbike licence fee. Cook Islands Tourism Industry Council president Sue Fletcher-Vea, who claimed rental vehicle operators experienced a 60-70 per cent drop in income from scooters following the hike, was pleased with the reduction.
“The Cook Islands Tourism Industry Council is delighted that the police have seen fit to reverse the increased licence fee and believes it to be a good outcome for the industry as a whole,” Fletcher-Vea said.
 
(Source: Cook Islands News Local 20 June 2017)