Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations.)

These Regulations consolidate with amendments the Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1994 and the Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) (Large Goods and Passenger-Carrying Vehicles) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1991 and the regulations which amended them as specified in Schedule 12 to these Regulations. The amendments have been made for the purpose of implementing that part of Council Directive 91/439/EEC of 29th July 1991 (O.J. No. L237, 24.8.91, p. 1) relating to driving tests and for general purposes.

The principal changes made to those regulations which are revoked are as follows—

(a) the categories of vehicle for licensing and testing purposes have been brought into line with the categories specified in the Directive (regulations 3, 4, 5 and 29 and Schedule 1);

(b) eligibility to apply for a provisional licence for the categories of larger vehicle is staged and depends upon the possession of a licence to drive smaller vehicles (regulation 8);

(c) the specifications for vehicles which must be provided for tests have been modified (regulation 26) and photographic evidence of identity is required at tests (regulation 27(2) and (4) and Schedule 5); and

(d) a test pass in a category B vehicle (motor cars and small goods vehicles) does not automatically confer entitlement to drive medium-sized goods vehicles and small buses (categories C1 and D1), for which separate tests must now be passed (regulations 29 and 32 and Schedules 1, 6 and 7);

(e) driving tests for medium-sized and large goods and passenger-carrying vehicle drivers' licences are divided into two parts, a theory test and a practical test, and the content of the practical tests has been modified (regulation 29 and Schedules 6 and 7);

(f) access to licences authorising the riding of larger motor cycles is permitted only after the expiration of a period of two years commencing on the date on which a test was passed to drive smaller motor cycles (regulation 33);

(g) the medical standards required in respect of licences are modified (regulations 48 to 51) by—

(i) the creation of two groups, Group 1 including the smaller and slower vehicles and Group 2 including medium-sized and large goods vehicles and all passenger-carrying vehicles, and

(ii) the introduction of stricter eyesight standards for drivers of Group 2 vehicles.

Transitional provision is made for holders of licences with driving entitlements currently in force and for correspondences between the current vehicle categories and the new ones (see, in particular, regulations 4, 41 and 53).

Fees for driving tests and the grant of driving licences are not changed (regulations 10, 22 and 24 and Schedules 2 and 4).

The Regulations come into force for the purposes of booking tests on 2nd December 1996, for the purposes of photographic identification at tests on 1st March 1997 and for all other purposes on 1st January 1997.

Copies of the EEC Directives referred to in these Regulations and in this note can be obtained from Her Majesty’s Stationery Office, 16 Arthur Street, Belfast BT1 4GD.