Some driving schools have increased lesson prices, others may be forced to follow suit

Wednesday, 8 April 2026

People learning to drive are among those facing higher prices thanks to US President Donald Trump’s war on Iran.

But as with many businesses, across many industries, some companies heavily exposed to fuel prices - incuding funeral homes - are holding off lifting their prices as they hope for a quick end to hostilities, and a reopening of the vital Strait of Hormuz shipping channel.

On Tuesday at 4pm, fuel watch app Gaspy estimated the average unleaded 91 petrol price was $3.49 a litre, and the average diesel price $3.76.

And despite attempts by countries including Pakistan to broker a peace deal, the US president continued to send threats that unless Iran reopened the Strait of Hormuz to shipping, the country would face massive bombing.

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Iran has been striking deals with countries in Asia for ships to pass through the strait, including India, Pakistan, China and the Philippines, but much shipping remains stalled, continuing the pressure on global fuel prices.

Iain King, the managing director of PassRite, which teaches people to drive commercial vehicles like heavy trucks, said: “For us at the moment, we are holding on.”

Times were tough for everyone, he said, and the company was not keen on making them any harder by increasing its prices.

But whether it could maintain that stance depended on whether the war ended soon, and fuel prices normalised.

Driving schools say multiple factors go into the price of a driving lesson - ranging from where the lessons are being taken, the experience of the teacher, or if the vehicle is manual or automatic - and fuel is one of those factors.

Though as in many industries, larger businesses have more capacity to hold off on price rises.

The AA Driving School, the largest in New Zealand, has so far been able to hold its prices.

In a statement to The Post, a spokesperson said: “AA Driving School is monitoring the current cost of fuel as well as owning and operating a vehicle. Though we cannot rule out a future price increase if necessary, as of now our driving lesson prices have not changed.”

Edin Dzebhanic, who owns the one-man Polo Driving School in Auckland, has lifted his lesson prices, but not enough to cover all of the extra fuel costs.

“I put a little bit extra on because it’s really affecting me, but it really wasn’t much,” he said.

His customers were very price conscious. He specialised in teaching people with disabilities to drive.

“I can’t just really charge too much,” he said. “I don’t like overcharging the people … But there are a lot of expenses.”

He was also conscious that it was not just driving-related businesses where the pressure was on to lift prices.

Supermarkets were creeping their prices up. “Everything with the petrol goes up,” he said.

Dzebhanic, originally from Montenegro, said he first began teaching people with disabilities to drive during the 1990s Balkan wars, working with those who had lost limbs or suffered other physical trauma

He’s not optimistic the US will stop its war any time soon, however, and he says Iran intends to charge each oil tanker it allows to pass through the strait several million dollars to help pay for reconstruction.

He had not noticed a drop-off in interest in driving lessons as families had to continue investing in educating their children.

King said that was also the case in the world of commercial driver training.

“Companies still need to train their drivers,” he said.