Aotearoa, NZ—Learning resources for obtaining a learner driver’s license in Aotearoa-New Zealand will soon be available in lea faka-Tonga (the Tongan language), a move aimed at breaking down barriers for Tongan-speaking communities.
It follows the New Zealand Ministry for Ethnic Communities’ highlighting that translation is crucial for sharing ideas and information across communities, cultures, and international borders.
“We know that for some communities in Aotearoa New Zealand, English language barriers exist, and there is a reliance on language professionals such as interpreters and translators for information and understanding,” the Ministry said on its website.
Eight per cent of New Zealand’s population identifies as Pacific, with Tongans numbering 82,000.
“To ensure effective communications, the needs of our diverse communities should be considered from the outset. Investing in translating information up front is likely to have benefits and prevent issues down the track.”
Jodi Mitchell, the Community Licensing Officer at the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) Waka Kotahi, told PMN News that additional resources to assist learner drivers are being translated.
“We are getting additional resources along those lines that will help them go about the process of obtaining a licence,” Mitchell told PMN.
“These include how to read our road signs and how to help your learner if you’ve got a child that you’re teaching to drive.
“They will all be getting translated into Sāmoan, Tongan and Fijian.”
Waka Kotahi aims to improve road safety outcomes and foster greater accessibility through an inclusive licensing system.
Mitchell says this is achieved by providing information in multiple languages, thereby ensuring a wider understanding of regulations.
“We are working to make driver licensing more accessible to everyone who needs a driver’s licence in New Zealand,” she says. “That includes those who don’t have English as their first language.
The report says a total of NZ$500,000 was allocated under Budget22 funding to make driver licensing resources more accessible for people who speak different languages.
“We have a list that we’re doing this year, and there’ll be more coming,” Mitchell says. “The purpose is, of course, to help them learn our road rules and how to drive safely on New Zealand roads.
“We are just looking forward to more people getting their licence and being able to drive on our roads safely, as well as obviously improving their quality of life here in New Zealand, allowing them to become employed, access education, participate in our community and have that independence and wellbeing they deserve to have.”
Theory test questions for obtaining a driver’s licence are already available in Fijian, Tongan and Sāmoan.
