The Alward government has cancelled controversial plans to lift a nighttime driving ban for novice drivers.

Public Safety Minister Robert Trevors made the announcement in the legislature on Thursday, just one week after proposing the amendment to the graduated licence program and one day after publicly defending the change.

Level 2 graduated licence holders under the age of 21 will continue to be restricted from driving between midnight and 5 a.m.

The reversal came "in light of concerns" expressed by New Brunswickers, Trevors told the legislature.

"Safety must be our top priority," he said.

Level 2 graduated licence holders under the age of 21 will continue to be restricted from driving between midnight and 5 a.m. (CBC)

"We have listened."

The provincial government will not be proceeding with the amendment "at this time," said Trevors.

It's unclear whether the issue could be revisited, but the decision to scrap the plan was met with thunderous applause.

Liberal MLA Rick Doucet, who represents Charlotte-The Isles, stood to congratulate the government for "doing the right thing."

Doucet said he had received several calls from people upset about the idea of lifting the ban. Some key groups were also left out of consultations, such as Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) Canada and the Canadian Automobile Association, he said.

Trevors said the provincial government did hold public consultations prior to introducing the proposed change and had heard from about 400 people.

But since the amendment was introduced, the government "has heard additional concerns," he said.

"People feel very strongly about it on both ends of the spectrum," said Trevors.

Former premier slammed idea

The reversal comes on the heels of criticism by former premier and Liberal MLA Shawn Graham, his first criticism of the Alward government in the past two years.

Graham slammed the proposed changes in the legislature on Wednesday, saying he had "deep concerns."

He argued the ban saves young lives and makes the roads safer to all motorists.

Research shows half of all teenage motor vehicle deaths and 64 per cent of all injuries occur between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m., Graham had said.

He urged the premier to "do the right thing" and withdraw the proposed amendment to the Motor Vehicle Act.

Joe Sears, who teaches young people to drive, couldn't understand why the government wanted to lift the nighttime ban either.

"If we take a student, or a new driver who is tired, is dealing with peer pressure and perhaps alcohol and it"s late at night, it's just a recipe for disaster," he told CBC News.

According to a study conducted by the Institute for Highway Safety in 2001, 27 per cent of all fatal driving accidents involving 16 to 19 year olds happened between 9 p.m. and 2 a.m.

The government introduced plans to cancel the ban on Nov. 29, saying the idea was based on public input.

Trevors had said the night-driving restriction was a hardship for many people, particularly those who live in rural areas, and that there was no evidence the restriction was improving safety.

He struggled, however, to identify what numbers supported his claim.

"Numbers of safety increase … increase of … decrease of accidents in the period," Trevors had said.

The existing nighttime ban, in place since 2009, has exemptions for travel to work and school.