Counterpart To Be Abolished

Ministers have take the decision to scrap the paper counterpart by 2015. This decision follows a public consultation that ran from 2011, ‘The Red Tape Challenge’, in which a lot of public feedback asked for the counterpart to be scrapped.

The DVLA is now running a survey to find out how people (including ADIs) currently use the counterpart so they can make sure alternatives are in place when it is scrapped. No decisions have been taken on what all of the alternatives will be as yet, but DVLA is developing a secure online enquiry system.

Jane Hunt of Britannia Driving School argues that ‘Instructors need the counterpart in order to see whether a new pupil has been banned. It is more complicated, especially for instructors who do not necessarily have smart phones, to check this when the learner gets in the car.’

However, many drivers and learners argue that the counterpart is unnecessary paperwork, only required in limited circumstances and so it is often misplaced forcing drivers to pay for another one in the event that it may be needed at some point.

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