53.—(1) In a licence (whether full or provisional) granted before 1st January 1997, a reference to motor vehicles of an old category shall be construed as a reference to motor vehicles of a new category and a reference to motor vehicles of a class included in an old category shall be construed as a reference to vehicles of the class included in the new category.
(2) For the purposes of paragraph (1), a reference in a licence to motor vehicles of an old category (or a class included in that category) includes a reference in a licence granted before 1st January 1991 to a group or class of motor vehicles which is, by virtue of any enactment, to be construed as a reference to vehicles of the old category (or a class included in that category).
(3) If an application for the grant of a licence in respect of a class of motor vehicles included in an old category has been made but the licence has not been granted or refused before the date upon which this regulation comes into force, the application shall be taken on or after that date to be an application in respect of the class included in the new category.
(4) A person who before 1st January 1997 has passed a test prescribed in respect of (or authorising the driving of) motor vehicles of a class included in an old category shall be regarded as having passed a test prescribed in these Regulations authorising the driving of motor vehicles of the corresponding class in the new category.
(5) Where a licence granted before 1st January 1997 authorises only the driving of a class of motor vehicles included in an old category having automatic transmission, it shall authorise the driving of the corresponding class of vehicles in the new category having automatic transmission.
(6) In this regulation—
“old category” and “class included in an old category” means respectively a category (or, as the case may be, a sub-category) and a class of vehicles specified in column (1) of the Table; and
“new category” and “class included in a new category”, in relation to an old category, mean respectively a category (or, as the case may be, a sub-category) and a class of vehicles specified in column (2) of the Table corresponding to the relevant old category or class included therein.
| Column (1) | Column (2) |
|---|---|
| Old category or class | Corresponding new category or class |
| A | A |
| B1 | B1 |
| B1, limited to invalid carriages | B1 (invalid carriages) |
| B | B |
| B plus E | B + E |
| C1 | C1 |
| C1 plus E | C1 + E (8.25 tonnes) |
| C | C |
| C plus E | C + E |
| C plus E, limited to drawbar trailer combinations only | Vehicles in category C + E which are drawbar trailer combinations |
| D1 | D1 (not for hire or reward) |
| D1 + E | D1 + E (not for hire or reward) |
| D, limited to 16 seats | D1 |
| D, limited to vehicles not more than 5.5 metres in length | D1 and vehicles in category D not more than 5.5 metres in length |
| D, limited to vehicles not driven for hire or reward | Vehicles in category D which are driven otherwise than for hire or reward |
| D | D |
| D plus E | D + E |
| F | F |
| G | G |
| H | H |
| K | K |
| L | L |
| N | N |
| P | P |