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Officials have advised
the Government that a legislative amendment is the best way to save the jobs
of bus and taxi drivers caught out by law changes. Provisions to the Land
Transport Act that came into effect on Monday prevent bus and taxi drivers
convicted of murder, or a sex offence punishable by more than seven years'
prison, from carrying passengers. But under the law,
passed last year, drivers convicted when they were young of having underage
sex would lose their passenger service licences. Yesterday, Transport
Safety Minister Harry Duynhoven met representatives from the Bus and Coach
Association, the Taxi Federation and Transport Ministry. He described the
meeting as "useful and productive". Mr Duynhoven said he
had also discussed the problem with colleagues in his own and other parties. "This is an issue
that caught everybody by surprise and I think there is good will to find a
way forward," he said. A legislative change
was "certainly a possibility", said Mr Duynhoven. He would not say
what other options were. "The officials
have already reported to me, and it appears at this stage, from their point
of view, the best option is to look at a law change, but that's only one of
the options being canvassed. "There are other
proposals as well and we have to wait and see." Mr Duynhoven said about
20 people caught out by the new law had approached him but only 12 had a case
he would consider supporting. "There aren't huge
numbers." The Green Party
previously suggested that the Director of Land Transport, Wayne Donnelly, be
given discretion in such cases - a suggestion that Mr Duynhoven this week
said had merit. National's transport
spokesman, Maurice Williamson, said the party had decided before the election
that people with sexual convictions should not be licensed to carry
passengers. "Yes I'd be happy
to try to fix the anomalies if they are as minor an offence as is being
portrayed, but I would still want [to prevent] people who have a conviction
for a sexual offence from being a passenger vehicle licence-holder," he
told NZPA. The new enlarged
National caucus would need to discuss its position. "Whenever you draw
a line in the sand there is always someone just on the other side of that
line who can legitimately claim to be disadvantaged." United Future leader
Peter Dunne has said the changes could breach the Bill of Rights Act, by
effectively punishing those convicted of a crime a second time. Parliament does not
resume until mid-February. Drivers affected by the change will not be able to
carry passengers until there is a resolution.
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