The move has been greeted by leading industry trade body, the Freight Transport Association (FTA), which says that the proposed electronic system was not ‘fit-for-purpose’. It added: ‘The delay has come as an early Christmas present for employers who rely on the counterpart to ensure that their drivers are legally able to drive.’

Ian Gallagher – FTA head of policy for driver licencing, said: ‘Businesses that employ a large number of people who have to drive for a living have a critical role in ensuring these drivers are safe and eligible to be on the road.  FTA members desperately want a sophisticated electronic system for monitoring their drivers – but the system the Government is currently proposing is not suitable for business needs. The decision to post pone the scrapping of the counterpart is therefore welcomed while we all work together to sort out a system which is fit for purpose.’

Last month saw the BVRLA warn that political pressure to speed up the process mean the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is set to renege on its promise to provide the vehicle rental industry with an affordable and workable alternative for checking the counterpart in real time.

‘Rushing the abolition of the paper counterpart before the DVLA is ready with a real-time driver checking service is going to cause huge disruption and may result in customers having to pay to have their own driving licence details verified,’ said Gerry Keaney, chief executive of the BVRLA.

In response a DVLA spokesperson said: ‘As BVRLA is aware, timescales for implementation are under discussion, but we can confirm that no changes will come into effect over the busy festive season.’

The FTA added that the DVLA proposed replacement relies on the individual driver logging into the “View Driver Record” system and printing off a copy of their counterpart details which they can give to their employer who will be able to verify the information being provided within 48 hours by also going online. For fleets who employ many thousands of drivers who have their licences checked up to three times a year, this process would prove both time consuming and costly.

Gallagher added: ‘Failure to ensure that a driver is entitled to drive has a direct impact on road safety, with many hundreds of thousands of drivers employed in GB additional resources will need to be targeted at this process adding cost and time to a requirement that is currently free of charge.’