Not on the road but still very cross!

[oscarisapc]

I am really p!55ed off at this latest action by the DVLA to reduce costs by making the new Driving Licence paperless. The move which has allegedly been well publicised although I hadn't heard of it is going to cause chaos and disappointment to quite a few holiday makers who need to hire a car abroad for which a paper licence is necessary but who find that all UK paper licences will be invalid after June 8th. The original old-style paper ones will still be valid, just adding to the confusion since some paper licences will be valid and some not. Imagine trying to sort that one in a long queue at the airport.
See this article for more details
http://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/other/dvla-driving-licence-paperless-change-could-mean-car-chaos-this-summer/ar-BBiEPsi?ocid=mailsignoutmd

I can't see what benefit this will bring relative to the trouble it will cause - it is not as though paper versions of licences are renewed regularly, unless you are a persistent penalty points accumulator. If anyone has any views why this is a good move, please share them. Meanwhile, the advice if you want to hire a car abroad after June 8th is to get your one time code in good time from the DVLA but don't be too ahead of yourself as it only lasts for 72 hours, Tough luck on anyone going to Australia with a stop off on the way in, say HK. By the time you get to Australia the one time code will have expired and the hours difference means that the office hours only DVLA phone service will be closed.

 

[davidjpowell]

My suspicion - they won't know or care in Aus.

I'm never asked for the paperpart outside the Uk.

 

[Giantvanman]

I don't understand where you are coming from. The paper part (part 2) of the current plastic card licence is not a licence in itself. All they have done is change the rules so that licence means plastic part only and not plastic and the paper part 2. The only details not on the plastic are points; all classifications/valid from & to/driver number etc are on it. Can't say I've encountered any problems across the EU or in Turkey and Nth Cyprus with both types of licence, the original pink paper (my green one went years ago) and the new plastic.

 

[renault12ts]

OP...are you seriously suggesting that the UK is changing the licence...and will not tell the rest of the world?

Has it been a long day?

 

[Dryce]

OP...are you seriously suggesting that the UK is changing the licence...and will not tell the rest of the world?

Has it been a long day?

Be fair.

The problem is that the counterpart for those who have photo licences becomes invalid after June 8th.

As regards the current situation - if you don't have your counterpart then car hire companies will ring the DVLA and they will ask you to verify who you are and to give your permission to disclose details to the hire car company. If you don't have your licence then hire car companies will sometimes accept other ID and then phone the DVLA.

With the changes I believe they are suggesting that you can print out a summary of your licence as well as using a code you can obtain to allow third parties to validate your licence.

It does like this aspect hasn't really been thought out yet.

I would simply allow a third party 'pin' type code to be assigned to the liceence that can then be used to allow a hire car company to obtain details over the net - just make the 'pin' something that is rather more persistent and something that can be changed/cancelled by the licence holder.

 

[Dryce]

The 'Official' source for those who hadn't noticed what's happening:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/driving-licence-changes

 

[tec]

I don't see any confusion.

If you already have a photo licence, the only change is that you can tear up and destroy the paper part from June 2015.

If you don't already have a photo licence there is no change and nothing to tear up and destroy.

 

[Dryce]

I don't see any confusion.

It's not quite that simple.

What the OP is refering to is the situartion where a third party needs access to the information that would have been on that no longer valid ****erpart.

That is where people need to understant (and possibly plan) how to respond to the changes.

 

[Spin_bowler]

It's not quite that simple.

What the OP is refering to is the situartion where a third party needs access to the information that would have been on that no longer valid ****erpart.

That is where people need to understant (and possibly plan) how to respond to the changes.

Can I be the first to make a childish joke about the typo in this post?

 

[markjay]

I have not rented a car in the UK for many years now, so not sure what the rental company might ask for, but I often rent cars abroad and have never been asked for the paper counterpart, nor do I bring it with me anyway.

I have a photo license, but I don't see an issue for those who don't - the DVLA are not phasing out driving licenses as such... every UK driver will have a license to show, plastic or paper.

 

[Giantvanman]

Am I still missing something? https://www.gov.uk/view-driving-licence To view online, all you need is licence number & postcode, both on the plastic card, and your national insurance number….with a tiny bit of preparation, there should be no issues at all, especially somewhere enlightened as Australia.

 

[renault12ts]

To be fair, and with Nepal in mind...this is a first world problem of the highest order.

 

[Rory]

... it is going to cause chaos and disappointment to quite a few holiday makers who need to hire a car abroad for which a paper licence is necessary but who find that all UK paper licences will be invalid after June 8th.

No it's not. I've never been asked for the paper counterpart abroad, and I've never heard of anyone who has either.


I suppose it could potentially be a pain for UK people trying to hire in the UK though - especially in an "emergency" situation, such as calling Mobilo after a breakdown.

 

[Deleted member 6183]

The DVLA comms look clear enough, I wonder if there is a hint of Daily Mail sensationalism at work here?

 

[Ted]

Does this mean my red licence is now invalid ?

 

[whitenemesis]

Does this mean my red licence is now invalid ?

You have a license!!!!

 

[Ted]

duplicate

 

[Dryce]

The DVLA comms look clear enough, I wonder if there is a hint of Daily Mail sensationalism at work here?

Of course there is!

Isn't it mandatory that they have a designated editor who has the job of adding suitable drama and outrage to any article that involves public interaction with a large company (especially airlines!) or public sector body.

That aside this change hasn't been particularly well publicised.

 

[Dryce]

I suppose it could potentially be a pain for UK people trying to hire in the UK though - especially in an "emergency" situation, such as calling Mobilo after a breakdown.

That can be dealt with over the phone if the hirer is satsified that you have ID (eg. your photo licence).

I've rented a car in the UK using a passport after I forgot my licence - and a colleage has managed to rent having forgotten his counterpart. I can't remember which - but one of us had an extra £15 on the hire as a charge for calling the DVLA.

 

[davidjpowell]

That can be dealt with over the phone if the hirer is satsified that you have ID (eg. your photo licence).

I've rented a car in the UK using a passport after I forgot my licence - and a colleage has managed to rent having forgotten his counterpart. I can't remember which - but one of us had an extra £15 on the hire as a charge for calling the DVLA.

I can see issues. My brother for instance broke down on thursday night on the way to the hotel. My grandfathers funeral was at 9am 150 miles away the next morning.

He was taken to Gatwick at 11PM to collect a hire car. Under the new rules he would be stuffed. No time to obtain a pin, and the DVLA line is closed at that time of night.