Perth transport

The benefits of Perth as a young city include excellent driving conditions comprising a comprehensive network of roads, highways and freeways for ease of motoring and a modern, inexpensive and reliable public transport system.

Motoring

In Western Australia you drive on the left side of the road. The state is vast and driving conditions can vary enormously. In and around Perth conditions are very good. With mild to hot climate for most of the year, no snow and very little fog, bad weather conditions rarely affect Perth drivers.

Being a relatively young city, most areas are on a grid design, witch makes it quite easy to navigate your way around Perth and its suburbs. There are two major freeways one running North (Mitchell Freeway) and one running South (Kwinana Freeway) and several other major highways to disperse the traffic across the city.

Perth is a car orientated city. Most families own at least two cars. Many people use a combination of car and public transport to get to work. They drive to a bus or train station with parking facilities and complete their journey on public transport. In the majority of cases this type of journey will take up to 30 minutes.

Major arterial roads in Perth tend to carry a heavier load at peak times. However, you will find the traffic less congested and the driving style not as intense as in other major cities around the world. Speed limits vary from 50 km per hour on suburban streets, up to 100km per hour on the freeways and 110km on the open road.

Driving regulations

As a visitor to Western Australia you may drive for a period of up to 12 months if you hold a valid driving license issued in your home country.

If you become a permanent resident of Western Australia, you will have three months in which to transfer your driving license. To do this you need to visit your local Department for Planning and Infrastructure office (DPI). They will then view your current license and issue you with a Western Australian license. There is no testing required.

Purchasing a vehicle

You have the option of purchasing a vehicle from a licensed dealer, auction or privately. The 10% Goods and Service Tax (GST) applies to cars sold by dealers, but not to privately sold used cars. Government stamp duty, registration and third party insurance apply to all vehicles. New vehicles attract dealer delivery charges.

There are a wide range of different types of vehicles and garages around Perth and Quality Migrations can advise and assist you on finding your new vehicle to fit with your new lifestyle.

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