DRIVERS in the ACT are being slugged with registration fees among the highest in the nation, and the cost has jumped as investment markets tanked.
But there is light at the end of the tunnel, with the Government moving closer to cracking open the compulsory third party insurance monopoly.
The NRMA remains the only third party insurer in the ACT, more than 20 months after the Legislative Assembly passed laws allowing more providers into the market.
The changes were implemented in July, and a spokeswoman for Treasurer Katy Gallagher said Treasury was in talks with every provider in NSW and Queensland, and at least one had already been invited to apply for a licence. The offer was extended in July, and the spokeswoman said timing of the company's decision was now a matter for the provider.
But even when a licence deal is agreed on by both parties, the insurer's name will not appear on a registration slip for three months. Meanwhile ACT drivers continue to pay high compulsory third party insurance, driving up registration fees.
For more, pick up a copy of today's Canberra Times
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