XN000022-1974-08-23 — Page 2

FRIDAY, AUGUST 23, 1974

NEW RULES TO PAVE WAY

FOR LAMINATED DRIVING LICENCES

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LEGAL CHANGES ENABLING THE PRESENT BOOKLET TYPE OF DRIVING LICENCES TO BE GRADUALLY REPLACED BY A LAMINATED CARD HAVE BEEN MADE UNDER AMENDING REGULATIONS GAZETTED TODAY.

THE ROAD TRAFFIC (DRIVING LICENCES) (AMENDMENT) REGULATIONS 1974, WHICH WILL BECOME EFFECTIVE ON A DAY TO BE APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNOR, ALSO INTRODUCE CHANGES IN THE RENEWAL DATE OF DRIVING LICENCES AND THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF RENEWAL.

TO ENABLE THE INTRODUCTION OF LAMINATED DRIVING LICENCES, THE REQUIREMENTS HAVE BEEN DELETED CONCERNING THE MEASUREMENTS OF AN APPLICANT'S PHOTOGRAPH IN ORDER TO PERMIT A SMALLER PHOTOGRAPH SUITED TO THE LAMINATED CARD.

THE REQUIREMENT FOR THE RECIPIENT OF A DRIVING LICENCE TO SIGN HIS NAME FORTHWITH IN INK ON THE LICENCE HAS ALSO BEEN DELETED.

A SPOKESMAN FOR THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT SAID TODAY : + IT MAY BE A MONTH OR SO BEFORE WE ARE READY TO START ISSUING LAMINATED LICENCES. WHEN WE DO, IT WILL NOT BE POSSIBLE TO CONVERT ALL EXISTING BOOKLET LICENCES GENERALLY. WE COULD NOT COPE IF OVER 450,000 LICENCE HOLDERS COME FORWARD AT THE SAME TIME.

+IT WILL BE NECESSARY TO PHASE THE CONVERSION SO THAT LAMINATED DRIVING LICENCES WILL BE ISSUED ONLY ON INITIAL ISSUE, RENEWAL OF LICENCE OR ON CHANGE OF PARTICULARS OF LICENCE.+

AS REGARDS THE RENEWAL OF DRIVING LICENCES, THE AMENDING REGULATIONS PROVIDE THAT THIS MAY BE DONE UP TO FOUR MONTHS BEFORE THE DATE OF EXPIRY OF THE LICENCE, AND UP TO 15 DAYS AFTER ITS DATE OF EXPIRY, WITH RENEWAL IN BOTH CASES RUNNING FROM THE DATE OF EXPIRY.

IN THE CASE OF A DRIVING LICENCE RENEWED AT ANY TIME EXCEEDING 15 DAYS BUT NOT EXCEEDING THREE YEARS AFTER EXPIRY, SUCH RENEWAL WILL BE EFFECTIVE FROM THE DATE OF RENEWAL.

HITHERTO, IF A PERSON RENEWED HIS DRIVING LICENCE BEFORE THE DATE OF EXPIRY, RENEWAL RAN FROM THE DATE OF RENEWAL AND NOT FROM THE DATE OF EXPIRY. THIS IS IN CONTRAST TO A SIMILAR PROVISION FOR VEHICLE LICENCES WHERE RENEWAL RUNS FROM THE DATE OF EXPIRY.

ANOTHER PROVISION IN THE AMENDING REGULATIONS SETS AT $15. THE FEE PAYABLE BY A DRIVING LICENCE HOLDER FOR THE ISSUE OF A RECORD OF CONY ICTIONS.

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