The Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) (Amendment) (No. 3) Regulations 1996

1.  These Regulations may be cited as the Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) (Amendment) (No. 3) Regulations 1996 and shall come into force—

(a) in so far as is necessary for the purpose of enabling persons to apply for theory tests, practical tests and unitary tests, on 1st June 1996;

(b) for all other purposes, on 1st July 1996.

2.  The Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) Regulations 1987(1) shall be amended in accordance with regulations 3 to 11 below.

3.—(1) Regulation 3 (Interpretation) shall be amended as follows.

(2) In paragraph (1)—

(a) in the definition of “licensing authority”, at the end, there shall be inserted “for Transport”;

(b) after the definition of “moped” there shall be inserted—

• ““practical test” means, where a test is by virtue of these Regulations to be conducted in two parts, the part that consists of the practical test of driving skills and behaviour and includes such a test conducted as part of an extended driving test;”;

(c) for the definition of “test” there shall be substituted—

““test” means any test of competence to drive conducted pursuant to section 89 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 including an extended driving test;

“theory test” means, where a test is by virtue of these Regulations to be conducted in two parts, the part that consists of the theoretical test and includes such a test conducted as part of an extended driving test;

“unitary test” means a test which, by virtue of these Regulations, is to consist of a practical test of driving skills and behaviour and includes such a test conducted as an extended driving test;”.

(3) At the end there shall be inserted—

“(5) Where a statement or certificate (but not a distinguishing mark) is required under these Regulations to be in a form prescribed herein, it means a certificate or statement in that form (or as nearly in that form as circumstances permit), adapted to the circumstances of the case and duly completed and signed where required.”.

4.—(1) Regulation 5 (Applications for the grant of licences) shall be amended as follows.

(2) After paragraph (1), there shall be inserted—

“(1A) An applicant for a licence who before the licence is granted is required to satisfy the licensing authority that he has passed a test shall at the time when he applies for the licence deliver to the licensing authority, in support of that application, either—

(a) a certificate furnished under regulation 22A(1)(a), or

(b) where paragraphs (3), (4) and (5) of regulation 20B apply, certificates furnished under regulations 22(2)(a) and 22A(2) in accordance with paragraph (3) of that regulation.”.

5.  In regulation 9(1) (Conditions attached to provisional licences), for the words from “Provided that” to the end of the paragraph there shall be substituted—

“(1A) The conditions specified in paragraph (1) shall not apply in relation to the driving of motor vehicles of any class where the provisional licence holder has passed a test by virtue of which he is entitled to be granted a licence authorising him to drive vehicles of that class.”.

6.  For Part III (Tests of Competence to Drive)(2) there shall be substituted the provisions set out in Schedule 1.

7.  In regulation 23B (Nature of approved training courses)(3), after paragraph (4), there shall be inserted—

“(4A) A certificate issued under paragraph (4) in respect of an approved training course conducted on or after 1st July 1996 may not be submitted, in support of an application for a licence, as evidence of the successful completion of that course after the expiration of a period of 3 years commencing on the date of the certificate.”.

8.  For regulation 29 (Entitlement to categories) there shall be substituted—

“Categories of entitlement

29.— (1) Subject to paragraph (3), licences shall be granted authorising the driving of motor vehicles in accordance with the categories specified in columns (1) and (2) of Schedule 3 and those categories are designated as groups for the purposes of section 89(1)(b)(4) and 89A(4)(a)(5) of the Road Traffic Act 1988.

(2) In these Regulations, unless the context otherwise requires, any reference to category B means that category including sub-category B1.

(3) Where a person holds, or has held, a licence authorising him to drive vehicles of a class included in any category he is deemed competent to drive—

(a) vehicles of all classes included in that category unless by that licence he is or was authorised to drive—

(i) only motor vehicles having automatic transmission, in which case he shall be deemed competent to drive only such classes of vehicle included in that category as have automatic transmission;

(ii) only invalid carriages, in which case he shall be deemed competent to drive only such classes of vehicle included in category B1 as are invalid carriages;

(iii) only motor vehicles adapted on account of a disability, in which case he shall be deemed competent to drive only such classes of vehicle included in that category as are so adapted; and

(b) all classes of vehicle included in any other category which is specified in column (3) of Schedule 3 as an additional category in relation to that category unless by that licence he is or was authorised to drive—

(i) only motor vehicles having automatic transmission and the additional category is C1, D1, B plus E, C1 plus E or D1 plus E, in which case he shall be deemed competent to drive only such classes of motor vehicle included in the additional category as have automatic transmission;

(ii) only invalid carriages, in which case he shall be deemed competent to drive only such classes of vehicle included in category B1 as are invalid carriages;

(iii) only motor vehicles adapted on account of a disability, in which case he shall be deemed competent to drive only such classes of vehicle included in the additional category as are so adapted.”.

9.  For Schedule 3 (Categories of motor vehicles for test purposes) there shall be substituted the provisions set out in Schedule 2.

10.  For Schedule 4 (Additional requirements for driving tests) there shall be substituted the provisions set out in Schedule 3.

11.  For Schedule 6 (Forms of certificate and statement of driving test result) there shall be substituted the provisions set out in Schedule 4(6).

Signed by authority of the Secretary of State for Transport

Steven Norris

Parliamentary Under Secretary of State,

Department of Transport

7th May 1996

We approve the making of these Regulations

Bowen Wells

Liam Fox

Two of the Lords Commissioners of Her Majesty’s Treasury

8th May 1996