u.k driving licence

[kiggiy]

well another example of good old rip of britain many years ago when you passed your driving test you got a paper licence that lasted for life.
then along came the new photcard ten years ago which thousands of people
are not aware if they got them when first came out that there is an expiry date. correct they do not last for life now and you have to pay £17.50 for to renew it for another ten years.big joke eh!!!! the first expiry date is coming up
and there is going to be s surge on drivers for a licence check and if you are
caught with it out of date then you can be hit with a £1000 fine.

details here http://uk.cars.yahoo.com/12092008/36...icenes-o.html

[netbustercarp]

i still got my old pink paper 1

[kermit]

I think the paper ones are still valid (don't quote me on that though!). You only need to get a credit card one if your details change. I believe that the paper license may still be your 'official' license (so don't lose it!).

To be honest I think that paying to renew every 10 years is acceptable. The credit card licenses are much more durable and user friendly than the old paper ones. Checking the validity of the license is also much easier (if you have an accident, for example, you can check the other driver is who they claim they are). Given that most people's appearance will change over the course of 10 years, paying the admin fee for a new license seems perfectly reasonable to me.

I'm not really sure what all the fuss is about to be honest?

Mike.

[stanjagman]

Even when you get the card license, you still have to keep the paper one as well...there is no room on the card for endorsements, bans etc....all that info is stored on the paper one....
When you get a "7 day wonder" or have to go to court for motoring offences, you must produce both parts of the license...
The card needs changing every 10yrs because some of us are gonna look a whole lot more "haggered" after 10yrs time, so when renewal is up, I think you will have to send a new piccy in with ur application...

[richk]

Good Old Gordon Brown - Another of his little Stealth Gems!!!

[richk]

Oh and dont make the BIG Mistake of calling them up for advice because another of Gords little Beauties is the Phone number starts 0870 and this numbers mean the DVLA share the revenue from calls with the phone service provider -- meaning the longer a customer stays on the line, the more that organisation earns. 0870 Numbers cost as much as 65% more than a call to the same standard number in the same location!

The DVLA made 3.4 million pounds from its 0870 number in the last financial year.

And the biggest insult to us all is that its Advertised as a Helpline!! Should be rebranded as A help yourself to my money line

[kermit]

Originally Posted by richk

Good Old Gordon Brown - Another of his little Stealth Gems!!!

Don't be ridiculous! You are paying for the production, distribution and administration costs associated with obtaining a new driving license because your appearance has changed. It's nothing to do with a 'Stealth Tax'.

If people are happy to pay £24 a year for a license to fish, I fail to see why paying £1.75 a year for a license to drive to the lake is causing so much offence

Mike.

[richk]

Originally Posted by kermit

Don't be ridiculous! You are paying for the production, distribution and administration costs associated with obtaining a new driving license because your appearance has changed. It's nothing to do with a 'Stealth Tax'.


If people are happy to pay £24 a year for a license to fish, I fail to see why paying £1.75 a year for a license to drive to the lake is causing so much offence

Mike.

But my point is that it used to be " Free " so whats changed that means we have to incur a charge ?
Then there are the people who genuinely forget, they pay Road Tax, MOT Costs, Run their vehicle, Insure it and pay huge amounts on fuel and just because they make one mistake i.e. Forget to renew their Licence they could possibly be fined up to £1000!!!!

And as for the apperance changing in 10 yrs I know people now that have altered dramatically in 5 not 10 so in some cases thats not a Valid Reason.

[mul]

Originally Posted by kermit

Don't be ridiculous! You are paying for the production, distribution and administration costs associated with obtaining a new driving license because your appearance has changed. It's nothing to do with a 'Stealth Tax'.

Mike.

If the quoted £17.50 is correct - do you think that it is realsitic that the cost of "production, distribution and administration" is £17.50 per card?

You cannot compare it to paying for an annual rod licence - it's not a direct comparison at all.

[kermit]

As you correctly say Rich, we have to renew lots of things as owners of cars. These cost money too and are part of the responsibility of ownership. I cannot see the difference between remembering to get your MoT done and remembering to renew your license. With the privilege of driving comes responsibilities.

I doubt very much that the £1000 fine would be levvied at people who innocently forget. Who knows - maybe (like with road tax) some of the £17.50 will be spent on sending reminders to people?

I would imagine that the production of the new license costs significantly more than printing out a sheet of paper (the old license). Holograms, photos etc. make your license more secure but do need to be paid for. Do I feel that £17.50 for 10 years motoring license is reasonable price? Definitely - it's absolute peanuts compared to every other cost associated with running a car.

Mul - my comparison was based on the annual cost of a car license which, works out at £1.75 per year. Not sure why you don#t think it's a valid comparison with £24 a year to fish? They're both on a per annum basis.

Mike.

[carp junkie]

paper licenses are still valid but if you get any points /change address or it is defaced in any way and you have to submit your licence they will not send it back , you have to fill in a form and get a piccie done and send it off for certain things its free of charge and its best to pay the post office a couple of quid to fast track it (similar to passport)saves sending documents in post

[Alan A]

Try to look at it this way Kermit
The old style license was free and lasted for life.
The new ones last ten years if you are lucky both me and my partner checked ours today and found they only had five years on them they are due next year. The actual cost of producing these are in the region of £1 each. Times the number of drivers by the £17.50 and look at the extra revenue that is being produced. Then take the i.d card they are going to bring in that you will be paying around £60 for, Congestion charging is starting to arrive closely followed by motorway pay as you drive, where does this stop. I think we pay enough in road tax, fuel tax, ever increasing insurance prices it should end there. And i would bet my bottom dollar that you will be fined if you forget, if its law, its law. put that against you rod license my tax was just £210 for 1 year Rod license £24 but that was the end of the payments to the government.
You dont work for the Government by any chance do you. I think the rest of us are sick of stealth taxes and being ripped off so they can get large payouts and great pensions.
I think you will find not to many people sympathetic to this one.
Bottom line drivers are an easy target
Regards Alan

[Stig]

My 1st licence cost me 34 or 36 quid

My dads said at the time it was an awful lot to pay for a driving licence as he was used to renewing his every 3 years or something like that .

So with the awful lot to pay in mind i telephoned the DVLA and was told

" It cost that much because you will never have to renew it until you are 70 effectivly it is a licence for life .A one off fee of 30 odd quid and all things you add or any changes of address are free ".

I even had the documentation that came with my licence explaining the 1 off fee and licence for life etc when i went to change the address on my paper licence they wanted 20 summat quid i then had it out with the suit behind the counter at the DVLA local office in Old Trafford .Wheni told him about the letter explaining the licence for life etc he laughed and then said in a very sarcastic voice

" I don't suppose you still have that letter do you ...chuckle chuckle "
The look on his face when i held it up in front of his eyes was totally priceless .So i told him i wanted to know where my 36 pounds for my licence for life had gone i also added that as long as i had that letter i had a fully paid up driving licence until i was 70
So it was free photo driving licence for the old Stigster . When it needs renewing i shall have to dig out that old letter again.

So yes i do object to paying £1.75 per year for my driving licence as i have already paid for a licence in full to last me until i am 70 .
Photo driving licences are ID cards by stealth and charging people again after they had already paid for their licence until they become 70 years old is simply THEFT. Never throw away letters sent by Government agencies as they think they can move the goal posts to suit themselves but not if you have docments issued by them telling them facts to the contrary

[Alan A]

Stig is that letter stamped with your name or a general circula.

[carp junkie]

maybe worth sending said letter out as an email to everyone you no to copy it lol you could put a link to this site on the email as well i reckon the server would be busy afterwards