Complaints force DVLA to delay the abolition of the paper counterpart to the photocard driving licence

See our earlier NEWS item on the abolition of the paper counterpart. More

See the DVLA website for news on the counterpart abolition. More

DVLA's stakeholder & commercial customer briefing pack on the abolition of the counterpart. More
















Contributor: Chris Hunt Cooke
Posted: 141223
As part of the Government's plan to reduce unnecessary costs on drivers and businesses and make systems more efficient, the DVLA had planned to abolish the paper counterpart of the photocard driving licence on 1st January 2015. Yesterday DVLA announced in a briefing pack that the abolition has been delayed with the date now fixed for 8th June 2015. From that date the driver record held by DVLA will be the only legal source of penalty point endorsements and the counterpart and old paper licences will no longer be physically endorsed.
This announcement was in a DVLA customer briefing pack which outlines the changes, what they mean for drivers, how the new paperless scheme will work, how drivers will be able to check their record and how third parties can check a driver's record - for example car hire companies - using a new Access to Driver Data service to be available to trusted partners. DVLA explain their current and future services and say they are working on a comprehensive and presumably simpler communications package to ensure that customers understand these changes.
The DVLA had proposed a system drivers would use where they would be required to log on to the View Driver Record system, then print off the counterpart details which could be presented to employers, or in the case of car and motorhome rentals, to the rental company. The company checking the details would have to go online within 48 hours to check the driver's details. The DVLA proposals had drawn complaints from both the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association BVRLA and the Freight Transport Association FTA. The BVRLA complained that the absence of the industry-specific online solution announced by the DVLA would left rental branches having to use potentially costly or time-consuming alternatives. For example, they might have had to use DVLA's premium rate telephone service or rely on vehicle hire customers sharing access to their online driver records via a print-off or smartphone screen. The chief executive of the BVRLA commented “rushing the abolition of the paper counterpart before the DVLA is ready with a real-time driver checking service is going to cause huge disruption and may result in customers having to pay to have their own driving licence details verified.” The FTA was reported to be equally unimpressed saying, “FTA members desperately want a sophisticated electronic system for monitoring their drivers - but the system the Government is currently proposing is not suitable for business needs.”
A DVLA spokesperson is reported to have commented “we can confirm that no changes will come into effect over the busy festive season." So don’t throw your paper licence away just yet.
V8 Register - MG Car Club - the leading group for MG V8 enthusiasts at www.v8register.net