The Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) Regulations 1996

Transitional provisions

Effect of change in classification of vehicles for licensing purposes

70.—(1) In a licence (whether full or provisional) granted before 1st January 1997, a reference to motor vehicles in an old category shall be construed as a reference to motor vehicles in the new category corresponding thereto and a reference to motor vehicles of a class included in an old category shall be construed as a reference to vehicles of the corresponding class included in the new category.

(2) For the purposes of paragraph (1), a reference in a licence to motor vehicles in an old category (or a class included in that category) includes a reference in a licence granted before 1st June 1990 to a group or class of motor vehicles which is, by virtue of any enactment, to be construed as a reference to vehicles in the old category (or a class included in that category).

(3) If an application for the grant of a licence authorising the driving 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 and after that date to be an application for a licence authorising the driving of vehicles of the corresponding class 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” mean respectively a category and a class of vehicles specified in column (1) of the table at the end of this regulation, and

• “new category” and “class included in a new category”, in relation to an old category, mean respectively the category (or, as the case may be, the sub-category) and the class of vehicles specified in column (2) of the table as corresponding to the relevant old category or class included therein.

  TABLE

  (1) Old category or class	(2) Corresponding new category or class
  A	A
  B1	B1
  B1, limited to invalid carriages	B1 (invalid carriages)
  B	B
  B + E	B + E
  C1	C1
  C1 + E	C1 + E (8.25 tonnes)
  C	C
  C + E	C + E
  C + 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 + E	D + E
  F	F
  G	G
  H	H
  K	K
  L	L
  P	P

Saving in respect of entitlement to Group M

71.  Where a person is authorised by virtue of regulations revoked by these Regulations (whether or not he is the holder of a licence granted before 1st October 1982) to drive, or to apply for the grant of a licence authorising the driving of, vehicles of a class included in the former group M (trolley vehicles used for the carriage of passengers with more than 16 seats in addition to the driver’s seat), nothing in these Regulations shall affect such entitlement and any licence granted to such a person shall be construed as authorising the driving of vehicles of that class.

Saving in respect of entitlement to drive mobile project vehicles

72.  In relation to a person who was at a time before 1st January 1997 the holder of a licence authorising the driving of vehicles of a class included in category B (except a licence authorising only the driving of vehicles in sub-category B1 or B1 (invalid carriages)), regulation 6(7) shall apply as if paragraphs (b) and (c) and the words “on behalf of a non-commercial body” were omitted.

Mobile cranes as exempted goods vehicles

73.  Paragraph (1)(c) of regulation 48 shall apply until 1st January 1998 as if the words “except a mobile crane” were omitted.