Driving Standards Section 40: Fee for renewal of photocard licence and issue of certain alternative licences
131.Subsection (1) of section 40 amends subsection (7) of section 99 of the RTA and inserts a new sub section (7ZA) into that section that will enable the Secretary of State to charge such fee as may be prescribed for the renewal of a photocard licence in pursuance of subsection (2A). Subsection (2A) of section 99 of the RTA requires a photocard licence to be renewed every ten years. Section 99(7) currently specifies that photocard driving licences granted after the ten year renewal period set out in subsection (2A) must be issued free of charge.
132.Subsection (2) of section 40 amends subsection (2)(c) and (3) of section 117A (disqualification etc. of holders of Community licences: issue of alternative licences) of the RTA. The amendments relate to the holder of a LGV (large goods vehicle) Community licence or PCV (passenger-carrying vehicle) Community licence who is normally resident in Great Britain. The amendments mean that where the Secretary of State has ordered a holder of a LGV Community licence or PCV Community licence to be disqualified from driving certain vehicles, he may now charge such fee as may be prescribed for the issue of a British licence authorising him to drive other vehicles for which he is not disqualified.
133.The Secretary of State has the power to charge such fee (if any) as may be prescribed in respect of issuing a GB licence holder with a licence authorising him to drive other vehicles for which he is not disqualified (section 118(4) of the RTA) and so this amendment will remove the anomaly which currently exists between GB licence holders and resident Community licence holders.