Irish motorists are due to get a new ‘credit-card’ style driving licence in 2012. This is in response to a 2006 European Commission approved sanction to replace all 110 different member state driving licences with a single unified format.
The main aim of the card is to aid the Gardai in examining a driver’s record when pulled over at a check-point. Currently they have no way of knowing instantly if that driver has been disqualified, however the new formats will provide them with all the necessary information right away. It will also help foreign authorities in cross-border policing of motor offences.
As seen in the image above, the card will hold a photo of the driver along with their name, address, date of birth, licence type & details of the issuing authority. More importantly though it will also carry a record of any penalty points or endorsements on the driver’s record.
Minister for Transport, Leo Varadkar has indicated that the cost of the new licence will be between €20 & €30
