Free Driving Licences?

fend

Does anyone remember what exact year they gave out the free driving licences to clear the backlog in the 90's? Thaaaanks!:D

TequilaMockingBird

No, but it was early 90's or even late 80's.

Kiera

It was respectable in the 80's.

Captain-America

Even acceptable.

giggsy664

I've got licenses for you if you were born in the 80's, the 80's.


YEAH!

GalwayKiefer

It was the late 80's cos my mother has one, will ask her when i'm talking to her in the next day or two.

fend

There was another period in the 90's though.... Just wondering if anyone knows?

Aodan83

giggsy664 wrote: »

I've got licenses for you if you were born in the 80's, the 80's.


YEAH!

I like how the thread was taken miles away from the actual topic so fast. Nicely done.

timmywex

Post in moters or learning to drive and im sure someone there will know!

Guy:Incognito

GalKiefer wrote: »

It was the late 80's cos my mother has one, will ask her when i'm talking to her in the next day or two.

It wasnt. it was 78 or 79.


and it was only done once, for people on 3rd provisional (I think, but it wasnt for people on their first) and who were on the waiting list for a test.

Robbo

Kiera wrote: »

It was respectable in the 80's.

Like apartheid.

Wishbone Ash

The amnesty was announced on the 11th October 1979 and was offered to those who had a 2nd Provisional Licence in Category C (now category and who had applied for a test on a given date in the previous March.

32,085 persons availed of it. There were no further amnestys.

seanybiker

Stekelly wrote: »

It wasnt. it was 78 or 79.


and it was only done once, for people on 3rd provisional (I think, but it wasnt for people on their first) and who were on the waiting list for a test.

Thats what I thought. I dont ever remember it happening in the 80's or 90's. I dont remember the 70's either cos I wasnt born but remmeber me father and loads of other people telling me bout it.

stepbar

They should be made do it now seeing that there's lots of capacity in the system and technically those who got a free licence never passed same in the first place.

Wishbone Ash

stepbar wrote: »

They should be made do it now seeing that there's lots of capacity in the system

The waiting times have risen a bit since the SGS contract ended.

What about those who were driving prior to the introduction of the test. Would you expect them to do it also?

PS - The licence wasn't free - they had to pay for it!

Blisterman

I wonder did road deaths go up the following year. Anyone got any statistics?

GalwayKiefer

Stekelly It wasnt. it was 78 or 79.
Wishbone Ash The amnesty was announced on the 11th October 1979


I stand corrected. Should probably pay more attention in future. <Meh> :rolleyes:

Hobbes

Just to add to that, when it happened the UK cracked down big time on people visiting from Ireland. If your license was an amnesty one you were told you were not allowed drive in the UK. Sucked for those who went over on the ferry.

Wishbone Ash

Hobbes wrote: »

Just to add to that, when it happened the UK cracked down big time on people visiting from Ireland. If your license was an amnesty one you were told you were not allowed drive in the UK. Sucked for those who went over on the ferry.

I don't think there was anything stamped on the licence to indicate that it was granted in the amnesty. How would the UK authorities know?

And were they concerned about the pre '64 motorists?

stepbar

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

The waiting times have risen a bit since the SGS contract ended.

What about those who were driving prior to the introduction of the test. Would you expect them to do it also?

PS - The licence wasn't free - they had to pay for it!

Yep, in fact everyone should have to go a driving test before their licence is renewed (full licence that is).

Toots

All I know is it was before I was even born, thus denying me any chance of having a licence to drive a truck without having to actually go out and do all the lessons and take the test

ejmaztec

Anyone had the misfortune of being driven by one of these free licence-holders? It was definitely a white-knuckle experience for me, being driven by someone who would never have passed their driving test in a million years. :eek:

Toots

Yes, my friends dad when I was younger drove us home from a night out. Even though I was locked I feared for my life. Although I've been in the car with a couple of others who got the licence in the amnesty and they've been grand. Suppose it depends on the person.

Guy:Incognito

Toots85 wrote: »

All I know is it was before I was even born, thus denying me any chance of having a licence to drive a truck without having to actually go out and do all the lessons and take the test

Seeing as they didnt give out Amnesty licences for trucks, you'd be doing the test regardless.

stepbar wrote: »

Yep, in fact everyone should have to go a driving test before their licence is renewed (full licence that is).

Thats a good way to get the waiting list sback up alright.

Capt'n Midnight

There was a time before the '79 amnesty where you could just buy a license.
A lot of OAP's didn't even have to get a provisional license.

towel401

they should bring this back.

down with all this new modern over regulated safety shizzle and just drive on regardless.

stepbar

Stekelly wrote: »

Seeing as they didnt give out Amnesty licences for trucks, you'd be doing the test regardless.




Thats a good way to get the waiting list sback up alright.

Indeed so but it might be a good way of causing less deaths on the road. It's ridiculous to think that one can get a full licence and drive for the best part of 60 years without a retest.

redout

The aul'lad got one of these back in the late 70's and says he can drive all sorts. There is nothing different about them compared to a person who done the test except for they got all the extra stuff like trucks etc. No markings of any sort that say no test was ever done.

Someone said above no tucks but I just looked at the aul'lads and trucks are on it and as I said he got one of these licenses.

Toots

Stekelly wrote: »

Seeing as they didnt give out Amnesty licences for trucks, you'd be doing the test regardless.

One of my aunts got it in the amnesty, and she has all the vehicles on hers

Tech3

I had to do some many lessons to get a license it makes me sick. :mad:

They must have had a collect 3 coupon and get a free license in the post.

Thats the reason why we see so many clowns on the road today cant indicate on a roundabout, reserve on a parallel street, tailgate my car arghh:mad:

ayapatrick

Stekelly wrote: »

Seeing as they didnt give out Amnesty licences for trucks, you'd be doing the test regardless.

actually, when you got the license for the car, you were given license for a truck up to and not over 7.5 tonnes, 24 seater bus.
i know a lot of people with these extra things on the license and they never done a test for them. they did do a test for the car though!

just about a point someone made there about making the amnesty drivers take a test because they are not competant enough to drive - i know a couple of drivers that wouldnt have a hope in hell of passing a test today, even though they did all those years back!

Capt'n Midnight

we could do like in the UK
you have to resit your test if you get done for some offences
other countries make you resit your test if you run out of points on your license

tommyhaas

Gerry Ryan was the last person to get a liscence under the amnesty, heard him saying it a few years back. Also Mr. Road safety himself, Gay Byrne never had to pass a test for his bike liscence

javaboy

tommyhaas wrote: »

Gerry Ryan was the last person to get a liscence under the amnesty, heard him saying it a few years back.

I'd bet my own hard earned pink licence that's not true. He just says things to wind people up.

Also Mr. Road safety himself, Gay Byrne never had to pass a test for his bike liscence

You can't blame him for the system that existed when he got his licence though can you? As far as I know he has since completed an advanced driver training course.

tommyhaas

About a year ago Matt Cooper challenged Gay Byrne on the radio to go back and sit the bike test, gaybo refused, said he didnt need to. Was about a year ago on 'the Last Word', duno if he has since done it.