The use of Learner’s Permit, Provisional (P1 or P2) Licence with Food Delivery Service

Driving for delivery services is one of the most popular side hustles in Australia. The main reason is because of its flexibility, we can work whenever and wherever we want, in other words, Be Your Own Boss. Quite useful for those who want to achieve short-term goals or for those who want to keep working while waiting to get a full-time job.

Uber Eats is the most popular on-demand food and grocery delivery service in the country. As a market leader in the industry, this platform has more on-the-road delivery drivers. Uber is not alone, several other companies are battling for market share including Menulog, DoorDash and Deliveroo.

The advantage of working as a courier for the on-demand platforms above is the ease of getting started. There’s no need for complicated requirements such as vehicle inspection or special licensing.

You can use any vehicle you have, including a bike that you certainly don’t need a licence to drive. But, if you intend to use a motorized vehicle (car, motorbike or scooter) there is one additional requirement, a driver’s licence.

Provisional (Ps) licence holders to work as delivery drivers

As we know, it is unlawful for Australians to drive a motor vehicle on a road across the country without holding a driver’s licence, for that reason the company requires its drivers to have it.

For people who already have a full or unrestricted driver’s licence, this is certainly not a problem, but what about delivery drivers with Learner (L), Provisional P1 (Red P-plate) or P2 (Green P-plate). Are they eligible to deliver with these delivery platforms?

Those licence conditions apply to novice drivers and have some restrictions such as speed restrictions, vehicle types and laws against using a mobile phone while on the road.

Due to these restrictions, some companies have decided to refuse this kind of licence condition, but several on-demand delivery platforms still allow their delivery drivers to use their Ps or P plates while delivering.

Delivering with Uber Eats on your Ps

One of the questions we often receive is, Can you do Uber Eats on your P plates? Most of these questions come from those who are currently undergoing their red Ps or green Ps, but want to immediately be able to earn additional income by delivering with Uber Eats.

In light of the fact that Uber’s on-demand delivery platform is very popular among Australians. This platform is the main choice for those who want to try a new side hustle as a delivery driver.

However, according to our findings, Uber is the most stringent company when it comes to licence requirements compared to competitors. The reason they implement this is because it creates a positive user experience and builds trust between the platform and customers.

Uber Eats Requirements

They clearly mention on their official website that any provisional driver’s licences be it red or green plates cannot be used to apply to become a delivery person. This also applies to those of you who still hold a learner’s licence, save your time and money, don’t even think about signing up with this platform. Unless you choose a bicycle to deliver.

This is certainly a disappointment for Australians who want to be able to immediately earn additional income by becoming an Uber delivery person. As we know we need up to three years on a provisional licence before we can apply for the full one.

Doing DoorDash on P Plates

For DoorDash, they didn’t mention detailed driver’s licence requirements on their website or app. In the registration process to become a Dasher with a motorized vehicle, a delivery driver can upload whatever driver’s licence they have at that time.

After browsing around the driver community board I found some interesting things from some of the drivers there. They stated that they had no problems when signing up using Ps or provisional licences, be it Red or Green P plates. DoorDash still approves their driver accounts and they can still get delivery orders.

It seems that DoorDash is not very strict when determining driver’s licence requirements. However, now it seems that your chances of being approved are greater when you upload at least a P2 Provisional or Green P Plate licence.

As we know, Ps licence holders in several states have quite a lot of driving restrictions. So delivery platforms may be a bit worried that this limitation will interfere with the delivery people themselves in making deliveries.

But there’s no harm in trying, who knows, DoorDash has changed its minimum requirements to accept all types of provisional licences. Moreover, it’s free of charge to register as a Dasher, so nothing to lose.

Be a Menulog driver on your Ps licence

Menulog has a similar policy with DoorDash, on their official website they state that Learners and P1 (reds) licences are not accepted to deliver with them. So we can conclude here that they only receive full unrestricted licences, overseas licences, and P2 Provisional licenses (green plates).

Menulog Requirements

This was confirmed by several people in the online driver boards, some drivers stated that they had no problem registering with greens (P2) licenses. So don’t worry about trying to register with them.

However, as a Ps holder, make sure you understand and comply with all restrictions related to the licence you currently have. This is to ensure your safety when you deliver with the platform.

International Licence as an alternative to Ps

In most states in Australia, a temporary visa holder such as an international student is not required to have an Australian licence to hit the road. They can use their current overseas licence to legally drive across the country. In addition, they can also use it as one of the requirements to work with Uber Eats or other similar companies.

If you have both types of licences, some drivers suggest you choose an overseas licence instead of the provisional or learner’s permit when applying. Learn more about using an overseas driver license to work with on-demand delivery platforms in Australia.

However, the conditions are different for drivers who work in Victoria, because temporary visa holders are required to convert their licence to a Victorian licence. This applies to those who have lived or will be living in Victoria for 6 months or more.

If you are not a permanent resident of Australia, you are advised to always know the latest updates about your current state’s rules relating to overseas driver licence. Because the rules could have changed without you realizing it.

Delivering without driver’s licence in Australia

Don’t have an overseas licence? There’s nothing wrong with registering using a bicycle (including an electric bike) because most platforms also accept this type of vehicle. The requirements for bikers are easier when compared to motorized vehicles.

For example, to sign up to deliver with a bike with Uber Eats, you don’t have to use a driver license as a required document. You can use a Student ID or National ID as a substitute.

One of the advantages of this vehicle is that you will not have trouble parking, it is easier to work in the CBD area and more economical because it is not affected by the increase in fuel prices.

So, delivering using a bike is recommended for those of you who still hold a learner’s licence or red Ps. When the time comes, you already have a green Ps or even an unlimited/open license, then you can apply to add a motorized vehicle by attaching your new driver’s licence.

Find out more about delivering with a bike, the pros and cons of using this vehicle and also the pay rate for the biker vs using a motorized vehicle.

Provisional Licence Ps limitation on the road

At this point, you might more confident to sign up as a delivery driver after knowing that some companies allow the use of a provisional licence or learner’s permit. But first, you need to know in advance about the restrictions imposed on this stage of licence which is set by your local government.

Maybe you already know that every state across Australia has enacted regulations governing the use of mobile phones while driving or commonly known as Mobile Phone Road Rules. Using a smartphone while driving or riding can be distracting, increasing the driver’s chance of being involved in a crash.

Working as a food delivery driver undoubtedly requires you to take a look at your mobile phone more often. Whether it’s to accept delivery requests when they appear on the screen or to help you find the restaurant and customer address by using online maps apps like Waze or Google Maps.

In some states, such as Victoria and New South Wales, restricted licence holders including learners, P1 and P2 drivers are not permitted to use their phones at all while driving or riding including while stationary. Drivers can only use it when they’re properly parked.

We recommend that you learn more about the law that applies in your state to avoid heavy penalties including demerit points and fines.

As we already know, online food and grocery delivery services have been booming lately, starting with the arrival of Uber Eats. This kind of service becomes necessary during 2020 when some people can’t go out of their house to get their favourite meals. At that time this service has become one of the essential services in the country along with cafes and restaurants that are allowed to sell takeaway food and beverage.

Since the demand for meal delivery services is rising, food delivery service providers such as Uber continue to open up opportunities for those who want to earn income by becoming gig delivery drivers.

Many people want to be a part of this gig economy as they are attracted by a simple job with competitive pay rates. In addition, to be able to join a driver, drivers only need to upload several documents that most people already have, such as proof of ID and driver’s licence, especially for delivery partners who are delivering using motorized vehicles.