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National
Chris Harper & Sonia Sharma

Motorists warned DVLA set to make big changes to driving licence and MOTs

Driving licences could be scrapped for digital versions, it has been announced.

According to transport secretary Grant Shapps, the Government is looking to get rid of physical driving licences in exchange for digital ones.

In a tweet, he announced the plans to "move provisional cards online, doing away with paper test certificates & bringing MOTs into the modern age".

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The DVLA is looking to create an app for licences that will launch in 2024 and if the provisional licence is successful, full licences could be thrown away completely for digital ones.

Mr Shapps added that EU rules had stopped the introduction of digital licences and the move was part of “exciting new post-EU freedoms”.

He said: "This is a golden chance to shake off the bureaucracy, invest in our future, and realise our potential with world-leading transport that benefits all of Britain."

Driving licences could be scrapped for digital versions (PA)

In its strategic plan for 2021-2024, the DVLA said: "We will introduce a digital driving licence for provisional drivers and also start to build a customer account facility.

"This will ultimately give our customers personalised, easy and secure access to a range of services and allow them more choice in how they transact with us.

"Our services will be secure, scalable and resilient and we will continue to explore and expand the use of emerging technologies."

However, driving charities and firms have been concerned about the new plans, reports Birmingham Live.

Steve Gooding, director of motoring research charity the RAC Foundation, said: “These days the one thing drivers are most likely to have with them is their phone, so using it to carry their driver’s licence could be quite handy.

"The risk is that the more personal data we store on our phones the more tempting a target they become for thieves and hackers."

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