Citation and commencement

1.  This Order may be cited as the Motor Vehicles (Exchangeable Licences) Order (Northern Ireland) 2009 and shall come into operation on 12^th October 2009.

Interpretation

2.  In this Order—

(a)“driving test” means a test corresponding to the practical test of driving skills and behaviour prescribed under Article 5 of the Road Traffic (Northern Ireland) Order 1981(2) as part of the test of competence to drive;

(b)“Table 1” and “Table 2” mean the Tables bearing those numbers in Schedule 1;

(c)“vehicle with automatic transmission” means a vehicle in which either—

(i)the driver is not provided with any means whereby he may vary the gear ratio between the engine and the road wheels independently of the accelerator and the brakes, or

(ii)he is provided with such means but they do not include a clutch pedal or lever which he may operate manually,

(and accordingly, a vehicle with manual transmission is any other class of vehicle); and

(d)a reference to a licensing category is a reference to the category identified by the same letter or combination of letters in Schedule 1 to the Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996(3) and a reference to a class of motor vehicle shall include a reference to a subdivision of such a class.

Designation of countries and territories

3.—(1) Subject to paragraphs (3) and (4), the countries and territories specified in Table 1 are designated under Article 19D(2)(b) of the Road Traffic (Northern Ireland) Order 1981 as respects licences of the descriptions specified in paragraph (2).

(2) The licences referred to in paragraph (1) are licences which—

(a)authorise the driving of a class of vehicles corresponding to a class of vehicles included in licensing category A, B, B+E, F, K or P, and

(b)which have been granted by the licensing authority of a country or territory specified in Table 1—

(i)to a person who has passed a driving test in that country or territory, or

(ii)by way of exchange for a licence granted in an EEA State (including the United Kingdom), in any other country or territory specified in Table 1, in a country or territory specified in Table 2 or in a country or territory named in Schedule 2 to a person who had passed a driving test in such a State, country or territory.

(3) A licence of a description specified in paragraph (2)(b)(ii), being a licence granted by way of exchange for a licence granted to a person who had passed a driving test in a country or territory specified in Table 2, shall not be exchangeable in so far as it authorises the driving of a class of vehicles corresponding to a class of vehicles included in licensing category A, notwithstanding that the licence authorises the driving in the country or territory specified in Table 1 of a class of vehicles corresponding to that licensing category.

(4) Notwithstanding that a licence of a description specified in paragraph (2) authorises the driving of vehicles with manual transmission, that licence shall be exchangeable only to the extent that it authorises the driving of vehicles with automatic transmission if it was granted to a person who passed a driving test in a vehicle with automatic transmission.

4.—(1) Subject to paragraph (3), the countries and territories specified in Table 2 are designated under Article 19D(2)(b) of the Road Traffic (Northern Ireland) Order 1981 as respects licences of the descriptions specified in paragraph (2).

(2) The licences referred to in paragraph (1) are licences which—

(a)authorise the driving of a class of vehicles corresponding to a class of vehicles included in licensing category B, B+E, F, K or P, and which have been granted by the licensing authority of a country or territory specified in Table 2—

(i)to a person who has passed a driving test in that country or territory, or

(ii)by way of exchange for a licence granted in an EEA State (including the United Kingdom), in any other country or territory specified in Table 2, in a country or territory specified in Table 1 or in a country or territory named in Schedule 2 to a person who had passed a driving test in such a State, country or territory, and

(b)authorise the driving of a class of vehicle corresponding to a class of vehicle in licensing category A and which have been granted by the licensing authority of a country or territory specified in Table 2 by way of exchange for a licence granted in an EEA State (including the United Kingdom), a country or territory specified in Table 1 or a country or territory named in Schedule 2 to a person who had passed a driving test in such a State, country or territory.

(3) Notwithstanding that a licence of a description specified in paragraph (2) authorises the driving of vehicles with manual transmission, that licence shall be exchangeable only to the extent that it authorises the driving of vehicles with automatic transmission if it was granted to a person who passed a driving test in a vehicle with automatic transmission.

Revocation

5.  The Motor Vehicles (Exchangeable Licences) Order (Northern Ireland) 1994(4) and the Motor Vehicles (Exchangeable Licences) (Amendment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2002(5) are revoked.

Articles 3 and 4

SCHEDULE 1

Articles 3 and 4

SCHEDULE 2Other countries and territories from where a licence may have been exchanged

• Guernsey

• Isle of Man

• Jersey

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Order)

This Order revokes and replaces the Motor Vehicles (Exchangeable Licences) Order (Northern Ireland) 1994 (S.R. 1994 No. 364), as amended.

The Order designates certain countries and territories under Article 19D(2)(b), (2A) and (2B) of the Road Traffic (Northern Ireland) Order 1981 as making satisfactory provisions for the issue of certain classes of driving licences. This enables a person holding one of those licences to exchange it for a corresponding Northern Ireland licence.

The licences affected are those authorising the driving of mopeds, motor bicycles, motor cars and small goods vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes maximum authorised mass (with or without a trailer), tractors, pedestrian controlled vehicles and mowing machines.

There are specific provisions regarding licences which authorise the driving of motor bicycles. In the case of countries and territories specified in Table 1 of Schedule 1 most licences authorising the driving of motor bicycles are exchangeable. However if that licence is one which had previously been granted in exchange for a licence held by a person who had originally passed a test in the Republic of Korea or the Faroe Islands it may not be exchanged for a corresponding Northern Ireland licence.

In the case of the Republic of Korea and the Faroe Islands while a motor bicycle licence is not exchangeable for a corresponding Northern Ireland licence if that licence had been granted to a person who had passed a test in the Republic of Korea or the Faroe Islands, it will be exchangeable if that licence is one which had previously been granted in exchange for a licence held by a person who had originally passed a test in one of the countries or territories specified in Table 1 of Schedule 1, or an EEA State or a country or territory specified in Schedule 2.

The Order also provides that a licence may not be exchanged for a corresponding Northern Ireland licence authorising the driving of vehicles with manual transmission unless the holder took a driving test in a vehicle with manual transmission.