Over 2,500 local drivers in the regional town of Ballarat are using Victoria’s first digital driver licences as part of a pilot program before a statewide rollout in 2024.
“The pilot is going well, and we thank the residents of Ballarat for getting involved—more people are getting added by the day, and their experience will help shape the statewide rollout.”
Mr. Pearson also told the locals that a digital driver’s licence would make it easier and more convenient for them and help local businesses and authorities verify their identity fast with no fuss.
Juliana Addison, who is a local resident and participant, said she thought the digital license would make things more straightforward.
“The digital driver’s licence will make life simpler on several fronts, and it’s fantastic to see Ballarat residents leading the way in this pilot,” she said.
Minister for Roads and Road Safety Melissa Horne echoed the need for the digital licence.
“Victorians have asked for a digital driver’s licence, and that’s why this Ballarat trial is such an important step,” she said.
Participants can use Service Victoria and VicRoads apps to store secure versions of their licence on their phones and get updates in real-time to reflect any changes on licence conditions or home addresses as it carries an inbuilt dynamic hologram and refresh function.
In addition, with a highly secured and timed QR code, businesses and authorities can verify authenticity to prevent fraudulent use, and even if the licence is cancelled or suspended, it can still be used to prove self-identity or age.
Feedback will be collected from all participants, local businesses, local police members, Australia Post and any other businesses that use a license as proof of ID.
A few factors are involved in choosing Ballarat for the pilot program: population size, a mix of businesses and venues for entertainment, so the technology can be widely and properly tested.
Local interest in the digital product trial is also strong, with the program progressively adding new participants.
Victoria Not First State to Go Digital
While Victoria will fully roll out the digital driver’s licence in 2024, other states, such as South Australia (SA) and New South Wales (NSW), have already switched over to the digital license.SA was the first state in Australia to introduce a rollout plan for digital licences in 2017. Now, they’re available to all drivers in the state with a Learner’s Permit, Provisional, Full or Heavy Vehicle Licence.
The NSW Government introduced its digital licences in late 2019, with residents able to download the free Service NSW app to hold their existing licence details.
Now, 4.4 million NSW drivers carry a digital licence which covers 74.7 percent of the state population.
The NSW government has assured its millions of digital card users about the security and privacy issues by applying similar measures used for Internet banking.
For Queensland, the state government started a similar trial to the Victorian one in April this year, beginning with regional areas first.
