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The paper counterpart isn’t for the chop just yet

The Government has done a u-turn on abolishing the driving licence paper counterpart next month.

At the end of November in reply to an enquiry by Business Vans, the DVLA said, “We want to make it as easy as possible for motorists and businesses to access government services.

Timescales for implementation are under discussion, but we can confirm that no changes will come into effect over the busy festive season

“Getting rid of needless bits of paper and making changes to free up drivers time is all part of our commitment to get rid of unnecessary red tape.  We have already launched a free online service where drivers can check their own licence details.
“Timescales for implementation are under discussion, but we can confirm that no changes will come into effect over the busy festive season.”

Now the change has been further put off.

The Freight Transport Association convinced the Government to delay plans to abolish the paper counterpart to the driving licence until an online system suitable for businesses has been developed.

The initial announcement to remove the counterpart as part of the Governments drive to reduce unnecessary burden to business in 2011 was supported by the FTA on the condition that a suitable online replacement agreed by business users was in place prior to its removal.

This is not the case therefore “the delay has come as an early Christmas present for employers who rely on the counterpart to ensure that their drivers are legally able to drive” states the FTA, who said that the proposed electronic system was not ‘”fit-for-purpose.”

373_licenceClick here for our story DVLA has failed its test for withdrawing the paper counterpart

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