IAM WARNING ON DRIVING LICENCES / DETAILED PLANS OF DINGWALL ROAD TRAM LOOP PUBLISHED
IAM WARNING ON DRIVING LICENCES
The Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) are warning people to be aware of the changes that will take effect in just over two weeks’ time as the paper counterpart for the driving licence is scrapped.
“As was the case with the abolition of the paper tax disc last October, the IAM fear many people are still confused or unaware of the implications of the scrapping of the paper counterpart on 8 June” explained an IAM spokesperson.
“The counterpart was introduced alongside the photo card driving licence in 1998 to include details that could not be included on the card itself, such as any endorsements and which category of vehicles you are entitled to drive.
“As of 8 June the paper counterpart, or an old-style paper driving licence cannot be relied upon to carry correct or-up-to-date information about endorsements or categories of vehicle someone can drive.
“The counterpart will carry no legal status, and the DVLA recommends you destroy it after 8 June.
“Another change is how to provide proof of your driving record to an employer or car hire firm, as your photocard or paper licence will not be enough in itself any more.
“You will need to access the DVLA’s Share Driving Licence service, which is now up and running.
“You will be expected to access the details yourself and print those off for submission to a car hire firm or employer. “Or you can call the DVLA and give a third party permission to check your driving record verbally.
“If you are hiring a vehicle, it is important to check with the car hire firm beforehand what information they need. “Other than downloading the information as detailed above, you can also obtain a special code from www.gov.uk which allows the hire firm access to your record for 72 hours to make the necessary checks. “This applies to both holders of photocard and paper licences.”
IAM chief executive officer Sarah Sillars said: “People are not aware of how many of the current procedures are changing. “Similar to the abolition of the tax disc, they assume much of what has happened before will continue.
“The onus is very much on the individual to obtain the information they need beforehand. “So we very much hope people will not be caught unawares, especially if they don’t want a nasty surprise when arriving to collect their car at the start of their holiday.” (Source: IAM press release)
DETAILED PLANS OF DINGWALL ROAD TRAM LOOP PUBLISHED
Transport for London (TfL) has published more detailed plans of the proposed new tram loop in Croydon.
The proposed Dingwall Road loop would see the trams routed anticlockwise via Dingwall Road and Lansdowne Road, which TfL say was the most popular option following a public consultation in November 2014.
“Views are now sought on these more detailed plans which add important passenger capacity without contributing additional congestion in Croydon town centre.
“The Dingwall Road loop has been developed closely with Croydon council, and would support one of the largest town centre regeneration projects in London.
“The development is expected to create over 5,000 permanent local job opportunities and deliver between 400 and 600 new homes, with the number of passengers using the tram network in the area expected to double by 2030.
“The Dingwall Road loop is the next stage of a long term strategy to improve reliability and increase the tram capacity in Croydon by over a third, enabling an extra 1,600 passengers an hour to travel in each direction.
“The Dingwall Road loop is part of TfL’s future plans for the trams which, subject to funding, includes aspirations to increase capacity and extend the network to other parts of south London.
“Extra platforms at Wimbledon and double tracking are both already under construction to meet growing demand, with plans for a further additional loop on the west side of town all designed to increase capacity and reliability for customers.
“This consultation will help inform further design and planning work over the next few months. “A report on this is expected to be published this summer.
“Subject to the consultation, funding and the proposal being endorsed by the Mayor of London, TfL intend to apply to the Department for Transport (DfT) for powers to construct and operate the Dingwall Road loop through a Transport and Works Act Order (TWAO) in autumn 2015. “The construction is anticipated to begin in spring 2017 and be operational by autumn 2019.”
The public consultation will run from 18 May until 28 June 2015. Further information about the consultation and the questionnaire can be found at https://consultations.tfl.gov.uk/tramlink/dingwall-road-loop-extension
For trams timetabled to use the loop, travelling west, the tram would leave East Croydon and turn right into Dingwall Road, travelling northbound to the junction with Lansdowne Road. After turning into Lansdowne Road, trams would call at a new tram stop on the north side of the highway, near Emerald House.
On departing the new tram stop on Lansdowne Road, the tram would then head west, turning onto Wellesley Road, where it would join the southbound carriageway, before re-joining George Street and travelling back east.
More information and maps of the loop extensions can be found at www.tfl.gov.uk/dingwall-road-loop (Source: TfL press release)
