Is DVLA ‘rushing in’ new licence rules?

The British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association has this month accused the DVLA of ‘rushing in’ new rules for those motorists looking to hire cars.

Taking effect on Monday 8th June, the changes mean that anyone hiring a car may now have to produce a special temporary code as evidence of their convictions. However, this code is currently only valid for 3 days – raising the concern that those holidaying may have to find internet access whilst abroad if not already booked in with a company.

Commenting on the new rules, Gerry Keaney, the chief executive of the BVRLA said: “The project’s being rushed through. It’s not brilliant.”

This accusation follows the RAC’s warning that many people were unaware of the new rules, a statement which was supported by the statistic that 73% of drivers did not know that they had to produce a code when hiring a car.

The DVLA has, however, denied that the new system is complicated, with chief executive Oliver Morley stating that: “It’s very easy to view and share your driving record. Just go to gov.uk and search for ‘view driving licence’.” Motorists are also able to save their driving records as a PDF file, meaning that they can be stored on a mobile device, in lieu of a printed version.

Green Motion ask that all UK driving licence holders bring their National Insurance Number, in addition to their driving licence and ID when collecting their rental vehicle, ensuring that staff are able to conduct the correct online checks and rent a vehicle to you.

If you are uncertain of which documents to bring, please call the branch from which you are collecting your vehicle ahead of time. For any further information, visit www.gov.uk