End of the road for paper licences?

According to Auto Express the counterpart driving licence is set to be axed. The Department for Transport (DfT) has revealed that the document, issued with the photocard licence, will be scrapped in 2014. And old-style paper licences will be abolished shortly after.

As part of an efficiency programme at the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), driver records will be stored on an online database within three years. This will enable police to quickly check whether a motorist has any points on their licence via the Web, without needing to see the counterpart document. Organisations such as employers and insurers will be able to check an individual’s endorsements, too, although only with the consent of the driver.

The DfT has also said it intends to recall paper driving licences shortly after the new system is introduced, calling it a “logical follow-up to abolishing the counterpart”. According to the DVLA, there are still around 12 million paper licences in circulation – so more than a quarter of all motorists have yet to switch to a photocard.

Read more: http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/news/autoexpressnews/270700/dft_rips_up_paper_licences.html#ixzz1TUMzhyZE