Alexander (Sandy) Milne

I INVITE older Beacon readers to join the dots in my comments below and share their views with us all.

New Zealanders over 80 years old are required to renew their driving licences every two years.

Last week, the NZ Transport Agency reminded me that my licence required renewal in July at a cost of $21.50.

It also reminded me that I required a repeat medical check-up. Last Monday, my GP’s front-of-office staff hit me with the news that my next check-up will cost me $135 (15 minutes with a nurse and 15 minutes with a doctor).

This will be my sixth such check-up. My first cost me nothing; my GP already knew that I was fit to drive. The cost for me has more than doubled since my last test.

Public transport is almost non-existent in Whakatāne. Elderly residents need to be able to drive if they wish to retain their independence.

The cost for renewal is exorbitant. Why do older drivers need half an hour in a GP surgery before they can get behind a steering wheel? Surely, a driving instructor or the people who conduct driving tests could check if a driver is still fit enough?

The 2023 New Zealand Census showed that 198,369 New Zealanders were over 80 years old. An earlier study showed that 84 percent of 80-plus-year-olds were drivers.

Last year, I attended a Greypower meeting at which a recently retired local GP remarked that he had 2000 patients on his list, whereas nowadays the average GP list appeared to be 1200 patients. Do I need to spell out a suggestion of how GPs can work more productively?

Yesterday, I invited Victor Luca, president of the Whakatāne branch of Greypower, to lead the way in getting older drivers a fair go. I should think that a small team of Greypower members could be trained to assess drivers’ ability in no time.

I invite elderly residents to join Greypower to give more muscle to that organisation. The cost is only $20 per annum.