The Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) Regulations 1999

Transitional provisions

Effect of change in classification of vehicles for licensing purposes

76.—(1) In a licence (whether full or provisional) granted before 1st January 1997, a reference to motor vehicles in an old category shall be construed as a reference to motor vehicles in the new category corresponding thereto and a reference to motor vehicles of a class included in an old category shall be construed as a reference to vehicles of the corresponding class included in the new category.

(2) Where a licence granted before 1st January 1997 authorises only the driving of a class of motor vehicles included in an old category having automatic transmission, it shall authorise the driving of the corresponding class of vehicles in the new category having automatic transmission.

(3) For the purposes of paragraphs (1) and (2), a reference in a licence to motor vehicles in an old category (or a class included in that category) includes a reference in a licence granted before 1st June 1990 to a group or class of motor vehicles which is, by virtue of any enactment, to be construed as a reference to vehicles in the old category (or a class included in that category).

(4) In this regulation—

• “old category” and “class included in an old category” mean respectively a category and a class of vehicles specified in column (1) of the table at the end of this regulation,

• “new category” and “class included in a new category”, in relation to an old category, mean respectively the category (or, as the case may be, the sub-category) and the class of vehicles specified in column (2) of the table as corresponding to the relevant old category or class included therein, and

• “section 19 permit” means a permit granted under section 19 of the 1985 Act.

  TABLE

  (1) Old category or class	(2) Corresponding new category or class
  A	A
  B1	B1
  B1, limited to invalid carriages	B1 (invalid carriages)
  B	B
  B plus E	B+E
  C1	C1
  C1 plus E	C1+E (8.25 tonnes)
  C	C
  C plus E	C+E
  C plus E, limited to drawbar trailer combinations only	Vehicles in category C+E which are drawbar trailer combinations
  D1	D1 (not for hire or reward)
  D1 plus E	D1+E (not for hire or reward)
  D, limited to 16 seats	D1
  D, limited to vehicles not more than 5.5 metres in length	D1 and vehicles in category D not more than 5.5 metres in length
  D, limited to vehicles not driven for hire or reward	Vehicles in category D which are either driven while being used in accordance with a section 19 permit or, if not being so used, driven otherwise than for hire or reward
  D	D
  D plus E	D+E
  F	F
  G	G
  H	H
  K	K
  L	L
  P	P

Saving in respect of entitlement to Group M

77.—(1) Where a person was authorised by virtue of regulations revoked by these Regulations (whether or not he is also the holder of a licence granted before 1st October 1982) to drive, or to apply for the grant of a licence authorising the driving of, vehicles of a class included in the former group M (trolley vehicles used for the carriage of passengers with more than 16 seats in addition to the driver’s seat), he shall continue to be so authorised and any licence granted to such a person shall be construed as authorising the driving of vehicles of that class.

(2) A person who is authorised to drive vehicles of a class included in the former group M shall, to the extent that he is so authorised, be deemed to be the holder of a Group 1 licence.

Saving in respect of entitlement to former category N

78.—(1) Where on 31st December 1996 a person was, by virtue of regulations then in force, the holder of, or entitled to apply for the grant of, a licence authorising the driving of vehicles included in—

(a) the former category N (vehicles exempt from vehicle excise duty under section 7(1) of the Vehicles (Excise) Act 1971) alone, or

(b) category F or A and the former category N,

the Secretary of State may, notwithstanding anything otherwise contained in these Regulations, grant to such a person a licence authorising the driving of vehicles in the former category N (with or without vehicles in either or both of the other categories as the case may be) and a person holding such a licence shall be authorised to drive such vehicles.

(2) Where on 31st December 1996 a person was the holder of, or entitled to apply for the grant of, a licence authorising the driving of vehicles included in category B and the former category N, he shall continue to be authorised to drive vehicles in that former category and any licence granted to such a person authorising the driving of vehicles included in category B shall be construed as authorising also the driving of vehicles in that former category.

Saving in respect of entitlement to drive mobile project vehicles

79.  In relation to a person who was at a time before 1st January 1997 the holder of a licence authorising the driving of vehicles of a class included in category B (except a licence authorising only the driving of vehicles included in sub-category B1 or B1 (invalid carriages)), regulation 7(5) shall apply as if paragraphs (b) and (c) and the words “on behalf of a non-commercial body” were omitted.