If you are pricing around and you contact a local driving school that tries to sell you a package deal straight up without even experiencing what you, your partner, son or daughter's current driving standard is like, I would suggest you start with only one driving lesson with that instructor, and/or contact me first. Any instructor initially trying to sell you a package is most likely more interested in the money than the student. You may also not receive a refund from them if you undertake the first lesson then decide you don't like the instructor.
I generally will not offer a lesson package until I have had one lesson with the student. During the lesson an evaluation takes place where the students current competencies are tested in a relaxed environment. At the conclusion of that lesson I will provide you with an estimate of the number of lessons it would take to pass the P plate test. If you then choose to take up a package offer, you just deduct the cost of the first lesson off that package price so you are not financially out of pocket.
I highly recommend any student just starting out driving undertakes an initial driving lesson in their first 10 hours of driving, not at the end of the 120 hours they are required to complete (if under the age of 25). By doing so the student does not pick up the bad habits of their parents, relatives and friends. Learning correctly from the start actually results in less driving lessons being required as the instructor does not require the student "unlearn" bad habits then re-learn the right ones, generally in the month before their P plate test.
Important information
Rates are current as at 27 August 2024
1 hour driving lesson - $75 (your vehicle) or $80 (our training vehicle)
1.5 hour driving lesson - $105 (your vehicle) or $110 (our training vehicle)
2 hour driving lesson - $140 (your vehicle) or $150 (our training vehicle)
Packages
3 x 1 hour lesson package - $205 (your vehicle) or $220 (our training vehicle)
5 x 1 hour lesson package - $360 (your vehicle) or $380 (our training vehicle)
Please note only a maximum of five lessons can be booked at a time.
Only two lessons per week can be undertaken to allow most students to be able to book at least one lesson per week.
What it financially costs to obtain a P plate - your vehicle
Students under the age of 25 are required to complete 120 hours of driving (to be recorded in a log book). 20 of those are required to be completed at night.
At present (as at 25 August 2024), petrol costs alone are in the vicinity of $2.10 per litre (in Yamba NSW). The average vehicle will generally travel 20 kms (at a minimum) during a one hour private lesson, working on fuel consumption of 9-10 litres/100km.
Doing the maths, it costs from $4 per hour for fuel alone per hour, or $480 (not including servicing or rego/insurance etc) to complete all the hours of driving required to undertake the P plate test. Undertaking the lesson in an instructors vehicle reduces the cost of your required hours (for a one hour lesson) by $12 (3 for one hour accredited), and this doesn't take into consideration the running costs of your vehicle.
Adept Driver Training only provides tuition in an automatic vehicle, however students can be taught in their own vehicle and they still receive the 3 for 1 hour log book bonus by Transport for NSW.