9.—(1) Notwithstanding Article 70 of the principal Order but subject to sub-paragraphs (2) and (3), a person may drive, or be employed to drive, a public service vehicle on a road without being the holder of a licence if—
(a)he has made an application for the grant of a licence, and
(b)he has passed the test of competence to drive.
(2) The authority conferred by sub-paragraph (1) shall extend only for the prescribed period.
(3) In the event of the applicant’s being refused the grant of a licence, the authority conferred by sub-paragraph (1) shall cease to have effect as from the date on which he is notified of the refusal.
(4) A person who, for the purposes of an application for the grant of a licence, takes the test of competence to drive—
(a)before the application is made, or
(b)within the prescribed period beginning with the date on which the application was made,
is guilty of an offence and the test shall be of no effect.
(5) A person who, after the refusal of his application for a licence, takes a test of competence to drive arranged for the purposes of his application, is guilty of an offence and the test shall be of no effect.
(6) A person shall be liable on summary conviction of an offence under sub-paragraph (4) or (5) to a fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale.
(7) The Department may make regulations, subject to negative resolution, for prescribing anything which may be prescribed under this paragraph.
(8) In this paragraph—
“licence” means a licence under Article 70 of the principal Order to drive public service vehicles;
“test of competence to drive” means the test of competence to drive prescribed for the purposes of paragraph (5)(d) of that Article;
and, in the case of a licence limited to any class of public service vehicle, any reference to a test of competence to drive is a reference to a test of competence to drive that class of public service vehicle.