The Motor Vehicles (Driving Instruction) (Trainee Licence) (Amendment) (Coronavirus) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2021

Statutory Rules of Northern Ireland

2021 No. 136

Road Traffic And Vehicles

The Motor Vehicles (Driving Instruction) (Trainee Licence) (Amendment) (Coronavirus) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2021

Made

26th May 2021

Coming into operation

31st May 2021

The Department for Infrastructure(1), makes the following Regulations in exercise of the powers conferred by Articles 132(2), 135 and 218(1) of the Road Traffic (Northern Ireland) Order 1981(2) and now vested in it(3).

Citation and commencement

1.  These Regulations may be cited as the Motor Vehicles (Driving Instruction) (Trainee Licence) (Amendment) (Coronavirus) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2021 and shall come into operation on 31^st May 2021.

Amendment of the Motor Vehicles (Driving Instruction) (Trainee Licence) Regulations

2.  In the Motor Vehicles (Driving Instruction) (Trainee Licence) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2010(4), in regulation 4 (trainee licence), after paragraph (1) insert—

“(1A) Notwithstanding paragraph (1)(f), an applicant for a trainee licence may make the application within three years after passing the theory test where the two year period would otherwise have expired or would otherwise expire between 31^st May 2020 and 31^st August 2021.”.

Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department for Infrastructure on 26^th May 2021

Chris Hughes

A senior officer of the Department for Infrastructure

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations amend the Motor Vehicles (Driving Instruction) (Trainee Licence) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2010 (“the 2010 Regulations”) in order to extend, in certain circumstances, the length of time that an applicant for a trainee licence has to apply for that licence after passing the driving instructor theory test given the suspension of practical driver testing due to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) public health emergency.

Regulation 4(1)(f) of the 2010 Regulations provides that an applicant for a trainee licence must apply for that licence within two years after passing the theory test. These regulations amend regulation 4 in order to allow applicants to apply for the licence within three years after passing the theory test where the two year period would have expired or would expire between 31^st May 2020 and 31^st August 2021.

An Explanatory Memorandum has been produced and is available from Safe and Accessible Travel Division, Department for Infrastructure, Clarence Court, 10-18 Adelaide Street, Town Parks, Belfast BT2 8GB or online alongside this Regulation at http//www.legislation.gov.uk/nisr

(1)

Formerly the Department for Regional Development; see section 1(6) and (11) of, and Schedule 1 to, the Departments Act (Northern Ireland) 2016 (2016 c. 5 (N.I.)). Pursuant to section 1(9) of that Act, the Department of the Environment is dissolved

(2)

S.I. 1981/154 (N.I. 1); Article 132 was repealed by Article 86(2) of, and Part 1 of Schedule 8 to, S.I. 2007/916 (N.I. 10), for all purposes other than those necessary for Article 135

(3)

See Article 8(1)(b) of, and Part 2 of Schedule 5 to, the Departments (Transfer of Functions) Order (Northern Ireland) 2016 (S.R. 2016 No. 76)

(4)

S.R. 2010 No. 228; to which there are amendments not relevant to these Regulations