DVLA licence checking website crashes on day of launch

By Fleet News
|
9 June 2015

The DVLA's new online system to check driving licences following the abolition of the paper counterpart crashed on the day of its launch yesterday.

Users of the new View Driving Licence service complained that the system was not working properly yesterday morning, says the BVRLA.

Several took to Twitter to complain, while the BVRLA had feedback from a number of members that there have been delays in rental branches.

The DVLA says that these sorts of delays are to be expected on the first day of a new system during peak periods of demand.

Gerry Keaney, chief executive of the BVRLA, said: "Replacing paper forms with digital services is a great idea, but the Government has gone about this the wrong way by rushing the process and not giving enough warning to motorists.

"The online system being offered by the DVLA is far from ideal and the car rental industry is working with it as best it can. We are confident that our members will keep their GB licence holder customers up-to-date with any new procedures, which should minimise any disruption for travellers."

“Customers can take extra precautions by ensuring that their rental company has access to their endorsement information – available via the DVLA’s Share Driving Licence service or its call centre.”

The AA is among the companies to say its members are encountering issues, while a car hire firm in Bristol told the BBC it had a queue of 20 people waiting as staff were unable to access their details online.

DVLA chief executive Oliver Morley yesterday told the Independent: "We are currently experiencing exceptionally high demand for this service.

"We are aware some customers are experiencing issues with the website and we are working very hard to resolve this as quickly as possible. We are sorry for any inconvenience."

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Author: Fleet News

Comments (8)

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Comments

Julie Doyle - 09/06/2015 11:17

I cannot view my licence details on line. I have tried on a number of occasions and have phoned the DVLA to be told that there will be a percentage who will not be able to view their licence. Why ? They were able to confirm my licence details on the phone though.
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Iain Mclean - 09/06/2015 11:36

“Customers can take extra precautions by ensuring that their rental company has access to their endorsement information – available via the DVLA’s Share Driving Licence service or its call centre.” The problem is as a customer I cannot get on to the view driving record service to obtain the Share My license code, chicken and egg?
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Sage & Onion - 09/06/2015 13:12

Was this a problem with the actual website or was it more to do with inadequate broadband speed provided to companies by their ISP? I don't know about other fleet managers but I'm finding lately that more time is taken up by slow internet because of the many services that have now moved on-line these days. It's not a bad thing to move services on-line but I don't think the broadband infrastructure in the UK is fit for purpose with growing business and personal needs.
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- Darren - 09/06/2015 13:42
  
  It's more likely to be a server problem. Normally you would stress test a server (load testing) by simulating heavy usage before you release to the real world, but ether they didn't run a load test or they underestimated the amount of simultaneous users. Ether way the server probably couldn't cope and slowed right down or just crashed completely
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Tim - 09/06/2015 13:51

Turns out endorsements like Drink Driving do not show up like they would have on a counterpart. Had a driver come in with a 5 year old DR10 which would have been on the counterpart for 11 years & his online record does not have any mention of it, giving the appearance of a perfect driving history. As Insurance companies tend to want to be informed of DR10's, this could give us issues with cover going forward
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- Sage & Onion - 10/06/2015 13:21
  
  I have been raising this issue too both with DVLA and our Insurance broker. DVLA didn't give much of a satisfactory answer and our broker tells us that the Insurance industry are formulating a response to this issue and should be published soon. But they indicated to me that whilst insurers like to be made aware, they are unlikely to stipulate any extra conditions on drivers with DD's/DR's that are over 5 years old because of the rehabilitation of offenders act. So that leaves the question of why these offences stay on a licence for 11 years if no-one (apart from the driver I believe) is allowed to see them?
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Andre - 09/06/2015 15:20

VVR also on good form - DVLA 0/2
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jo.anstey - 09/06/2015 15:31

This is why Covase's advice yesterday to drivers was to keep hold of their paper counterpart for the short-term. The shift from paper to digital was just too abrupt for the industry (and apparently the DVLA server) to keep up. Such a shame because the concept of abolishing the paper system is a good one.
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Edward Handley - 09/06/2015 18:25

I regularly hire cars in Europe - you go in, hand over your photocard, stuff your credit card in the machine, enter your PIN and leave with the car a few minutes later. Counterpart? - never, not even once, been asked for it. So why is it all such a big deal here in the UK? We have about the safest roads in Europe but the insurance costs on hire cars are equivalent to or higher than other European countries and you have to complete an A4 insurance declaration that wants to know everything from the number of points on your licence to the sex of your cat every time you hire a vehicle. Why?
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Joe Blogs - 10/06/2015 12:48

Thought the idea of this was to save the enviroment? So why are we as a hire company given the option to PRINT the copy off? Whole idea stinks of the DVLA trying to make up the shortfall of the eviromentally friendly cars paying less for Road Tax!
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