The Kelmscott Driving and Vehicle Services will now operate as an appointment only centre providing only practical driving assessments after the Department of Transport reviewed its current services and accommodation requirements.
General manager of driver and vehicle services Steve Mitchinson said it was evident to the department that Success and Cannington were more convenient locations for the majority of customers who visited centres in the southern suburbs.
“Postcode analysis of customers using the Kelmscott Driver and Vehicle Services Centre also highlighted that many reside closer to Cannington or the growing suburb of Beeliar and as such would be better serviced by the new Success Service centre and improved Cannington Driver and Vehicle Services Centre,” he said.
“Take-up of Department of Transport Direct and other online options and the slowdown of economic activity has resulted in changes in the type of services provided through the Kelmscott Driver and Vehicle Services Centre in the second half of 2018.”
Mr Mitchinson said there had been a 10 per cent reduction in vehicle renewals and a 15 per cent reduction in driver renewals from the 2012/13 financial year to the 2016/17 financial year at the Kelmscott centre.
“However demand for practical driving assessments is consistently increasing in the Kelmscott area and as such Kelmscott will transition into a practical driving assessments specific centre to focus on improving services for novice drivers,” he said.
Staff from the Kelmscott centre were sent to both Success and Cannington to meet the forecasted increase in demand for services.
News about the closure of the Kelmscott centre was shared to the Department of Transport’s Facebook page on October 12, which resulted in more than 250 comments, many of which were in disgust over the decision.
However Mr Mitchinson said the department had successfully redirected a few customers from the Kelmscott site to another service and there had been some negative comments on social media and one complaint received from a customer.
“Department of Transport will continue to consider where and how our services are provided to meet the evolving needs of our customers,” he said.
