Responding to last weeks article on Driver Qualification Cards (DQCs) Alec Horner from the Association of Trainers (ASoT) wrote into CBW to say the ‘free’ paper licence exchange on offer from the DSA may have been misleading.
Mr Horner said although the information provided by the DSA may have been technically correct, some points required clarification.
He said: “Firstly there is an inference where by exchanging their paper licence, the DQC is issued ‘at no cost’. There is still the £43.75 upload fee to be paid.
“If the driver has completed 35 hours periodic training then the system is ready to print a DQC, but can’t because of the lack of a signature and photo. Once the paper licence is exchanged with the DVLA for a new photocard licence the system is able to print and send out the DQC automatically.
“A driver with a paper licence would previously have had to complete a DQC1 application form to obtain a DQC and pay £25 administration costs, whereas now the DQC is issued and triggered automatically on exchange of the licence for a photocard version.”
Mr Horner said the £30 saving over 10 years is calculated on the basis where if a driver obtains a photocard licence, they could receive two DQC’s within the life of the licence without having to apply manually. With two DQC’s at £25 each equalling £50, less the licence exchange at £20, this leaves a £30 saving.
“Although rapidly diminishing in numbers, for those drivers who wish to retain their paper licence there is still no legal requirement to exchange a paper licence in order to obtain the DQC,” he concluded.
