EU driving licence coming in 2013

Gran Hermano

EU driving licence coming in 2013

The European parliament has given final approval to the creation of a European driving licence, which will replace the many national licences used in the EU.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6180617.stm

Seth Brundle

The credit card-style licence, with photograph and possibly a microchip, will start to be introduced in 2013.

Knowing Ireland and the speed at which it impliments EU directives etc. it could be 2020 before it is adopted

machiavellianme

I wonder if it'll be valid documentation for intra-EU air travel the same way our Irish Driving Licences suffice travelling to the UK? After all, it will have all our details on it. It'd beat carrying that large and awkward passport everywhere.

Gran Hermano

I'm guessing a new EU licence will also mean a new provisional licence/learners
permit and the government has mentioned they are revising the whole
provisional situation. At least they know they have to sort out the current mess
with people driving long-term unaccompanied on provisionals by 2013 now!

ninty9er

now the commission has to approve it, then some other institution and send amendments back to the parliament, or was it the other way around.....I'm very sceptical of these "all EU" ideas.....next it'll be VAT and then we'll all be paying 57% basic PAYE

formatman

does this mean you can sit the test in any european country then ?

can see the headlines ...Ryan air flight 20euro to Hungary, do your driving test and back in Dublin for lunchtime

Thats the longest notice period ever one would get in their Job
Think we shoulf mark a national day of celebration when all those useless gits they call Driving Testers get their walking papers if you can sit the test in any country ....

Stark

formatman wrote:

does this mean you can sit the test in any european country then ?

Doubt it. A provisional licence isn't considered a licence under EU law so it's likely there won't be a common provisional licence/learner for the member states.

Our man in Havana

People would still fly to hungary and get their version of a provisional and then fly back to do the test there.

overdriver

Pan-European points?

Stark

Bond-007 wrote:

People would still fly to hungary and get their version of a provisional and then fly back to do the test there.

Wouldn't you still need to have a Hungarian address to get a provisional there?

is_that_so

AFAIK ourselves and Britain are the only ones to let provisional drivers loose on the road without an instructor. Might be a good time to look at changing that as well?

Seth Brundle

Prov drivers are not allowed out without a licenced driver and its enforced (as are most laws).

Our man in Havana

Stark wrote:

Wouldn't you still need to have a Hungarian address to get a provisional there?

I don't think thay are that particular.

Tanabe

is_that_so wrote:

AFAIK ourselves and Britain are the only ones to let provisional drivers loose on the road without an instructor. Might be a good time to look at changing that as well?

I thought there was no such thing as a provisional licence in the UK? Have to have passed your test & hold a full licence before you take to the streets?

faceman

Gran Hermano wrote:

EU driving licence coming in 2013

with my look and motorcars, i will be still on me provisional then!

Jimoslimos

is_that_so wrote:

AFAIK ourselves and Britain are the only ones to let provisional drivers loose on the road without an instructor. Might be a good time to look at changing that as well?

In England, no, not in my experience anyway. It appears fraught with difficulties anyway. As for pan-european points....well imagine the cries from Jeremy Clarkson when he gets a europe-wide driving ban for an incident occuring on a German/french autobahn/motorway. :eek:

parsi

formatman wrote:

Think we shoulf mark a national day of celebration when all those useless gits they call Driving Testers get their walking papers if you can sit the test in any country ....

Hmm. Are the private guys any better ? SGS had to cancel their driving tests scheduled for the last two saturdays before Christmas when it dawned on them that traffic might be a bit heavy on those days.

As an aside - everyone says we should have more testers but where do they come from ? You can't just magic up a tester ? Driving instructors are unregulated so they surerly can't be a pool from which testers could be drawn without training...