Becoming a delivery driver in Australia on popular platforms such as Uber Eats, DoorDash, or Menulog is not too difficult. The most important requirement, especially if you want to deliver using a motor vehicle, is to have a roadworthy vehicle and a valid driver’s licence.
However, there is one thing that often escapes the attention of many new drivers: the validity period of the driver licence, which can actually become a major stumbling block in their daily work.
In Australia, a driver licence is not only a mandatory document for driving but also the main requirement to remain active as a gig driver on rideshare or food delivery platforms.
Platforms such as Uber Eats and DoorDash have an automated system that sends reminders to drivers when their driver licence is approaching its expiry date. This reminder usually appears a few weeks in advance, so drivers have time to renew it.
However, the problem arises when the expiry date arrives but the new driver licence has not yet been received. Automatically, the driver’s account will be temporarily suspended until the new driver licence is uploaded and verified by the system. In this condition, the driver cannot accept any orders, which means their main source of income is immediately halted.
The Lengthy Process of Driver Licence Renewal
One of the biggest challenges when renewing a driver licence in Australia is the processing time. On average, this process can take up to four weeks. So, even though a driver has already gone to the service centre to renew, or completed an online renewal which may only take about a week.
Drivers still have to wait quite a while—at least a couple of weeks—until the new physical card arrives at their home address.During this waiting period, many drivers feel caught in a dilemma. Not being able to work means no income, while daily expenses continue as usual.
This situation is particularly difficult for gig drivers who rely on on-demand delivery platforms such as Uber Eats or DoorDash as their main source of income.
Can Renewal Receipt Paper Be Used as a Temporary Substitute?
In fact, there is one solution often discussed among drivers, namely uploading the slip paper or renewal receipt paper provided by the service centre when renewing. This slip serves as proof that the driver has already taken care of the renewal and is waiting for the new physical card to arrive.
However, the results of this step vary widely. Some drivers reported that their receipt paper was approved by the platform when uploaded, so their accounts remained active, and they were able to continue working normally until the new card arrived. In this case, the renewal receipt paper was accepted as an official temporary extension, at least for around four weeks.
Unfortunately, not all drivers are that lucky. Some experienced rejection, where the renewal receipt was not considered valid as a substitute document for the driver licence. As a result, they still had to wait until the new card was fully issued and delivered. These mixed results created confusion and a sense of uncertainty among drivers.
Unable to verify Driver Licence
Tips to Increase the Chances of Renewal Receipt Being Accepted
In addition to the basic steps already mentioned, here are some extra tips that may increase the chances of having your renewal receipt accepted by the platform’s system:
- Take a photo of the renewal receipt alongside the old expired driver licence. Some drivers reported that this method is quite effective because the system can more easily match the old document with the new renewal proof.
- Make sure the documents are photographed clearly, brightly, and not blurry, since verification is usually carried out by an automated system without human intervention. If the data in the photo is difficult to read, the document will most likely be rejected.
- Repeat the upload process patiently, because some drivers only succeeded on their second or third attempt. Sometimes a new photo might be more readable to the system.
- If all steps have been tried but the results are still not as expected, the last option is to contact the support team. Although their responses may not always fully solve the problem, at least you can report difficulties in verifying your driver licence.
For some people, this issue may seem trivial. However, for thousands of drivers in Australia who rely on app-based income, several weeks without earnings is a very long time. Many of them feel frustrated because there is no official and consistent guideline regarding the use of renewal receipts as a temporary document.
On one hand, platforms do have an obligation to ensure that all drivers hold a valid licence in the interest of road safety. On the other hand, rigid policies without offering alternative solutions can harm drivers who have actually complied with the rules and renewed their licence on time.
For platforms such as Uber Eats and DoorDash, perhaps now is the right time to consider a more flexible policy. For instance, providing assurance that a renewal receipt can be accepted as a temporary document for a certain duration. This way, drivers can continue working, while the company still has a guarantee that the validity of the licence is being processed.
0 Comments