It further harmonises definitions of vehicle sub-categories and rules on the duration of the validity of a licence, introduces minimum standards for driving examiners and attempts to ensure that no one can simultaneously possess more than one licence issued by an EU or European Economic Area (EEA) state.

It also gives the green light to chip technology, banned under the previous directive.
The Government’s ‘red tape challenge’ is behind the proposed closure of 39 regional offices, 10 of which include regional enforcement centres, by the end of 2013.

It could also see the removal of the requirement for fleet operators to hold a V5C registration certificate from 2013, instead issuing them only on demand.

“This will reduce the administrative burden on fleet operators to handle, distribute and store often large volumes of paper documents,” said a DVLA spokesman.

“Instead, fleet operators will be provided with an electronic enquiry function to check vehicles’ details.”

Access to central database

Companies could find further savings if, alongside the removal of the paper driving licence counterpart, a database holding driver information, including endorsements, is developed and fleets are granted access to it.

A fleet manager checking for any endorsements on an employees’ driving licence currently pays up to £10 per driver per year.
Access to a new database could be granted at a reduced rate through ACFO or FTA membership, making the process cheaper for fleets and less bureaucratic.

The DVLA told Fleet News that it was looking at a range of services, which could include “enhanced access to driver’s data”.
“We are working with the insurance industry to provide access to driver information for the purpose of enabling more accurate insurance quotes,” said a spokesman.

“Further opportunities will also be examined with other stakeholders.”

ACFO believes the paper counterpart could be scrapped as early as June 2014, with the new database launched at the end of 2013.

However, ACFO director John Pryor, who attended a recent meeting with the DVLA, alongside the Freight Transport Association and the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association, sounded a note of caution. “There is a long way to go before a solution is developed that is satisfactory to ACFO and its members,” he said.