The new driving licence checking system - to be introduced by the DVLA this summer - will not meet businesses’ needs according to the Freight Transport Association.
On 8 June the government abolished the paper counterpart, which accompanied photocard licences and was the main tool used for checking drivers’ entitlement.
Drivers can access their own driving licence record using the DVLA’s online facility and entering their Driver number, National Insurance number and Post Code. Employers may also access the data but must first obtain permission from the employee who must in turn provide them with a unique access number - generated via the DVLA website - to allow them to look at their record. The access code only allows access for 72 hours and may only be used once, so the process needs to be repeated every time the employee’s licence is checked.
FTA’s Chief Executive, David Wells has written to the Driver Licencing Agency’s CEO, Oliver Morley telling him that the new online system will make driver licence checking extremely difficult for freight operators, and needs to be reconsidered as a matter of urgency.
The FTA has previously voiced its concerns over the system and reminded the DVLA chief executive that as a fundamental part of their statutory undertakings, freight operators have to check their drivers’ licences several times a year.
David Wells said, “Freight operators, which employ hundreds and sometimes thousands of professional drivers, have a legal obligation to check licences on a regular basis. FTA is not convinced that the proposed online checking system will be robust enough to cope with industry demands.”
A recent FTA/DVLA working group exercise carried out to ascertain how much reliance was placed on the driving licence counterpart, confirmed that 94% of respondents relied on a physical check, either separately or as part of a process which involved either telephone or external checking.
There is another way
Last year the Association for Driving Licence Verification (ADLA) was launched to provide fleet users with responsible and secure access to DVLA driving licence data in preparation for the abolishment of the paper counterpart.
The information obtained by the ADLV member companies provides employers with a new and comprehensive alternative for validating the driver entitlement data for their employees.
ADLV member organisations include Licence Check Ltd, Drivercheck Ltd, Licence Bureau Ltd, Fleet Claims Administration Ltd, DrivingMonitor, AA DriveTech (UK) Ltd, GB Group plc, Pinewood Technologies, Admin Business Solutions, Chalcheck Ltd, Interactive Driving Systems Ltd, Fleet Partnership Solutions Ltd, Descartes Systems UK Ltd, Intelligent Data Systems (UK) Ltd.
Photo: DVLA CEO Oliver Morley