According to the BVRLA, ‘political pressure to speed up the process now means 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’ (full story here).

However, a DVLA spokesman said: ‘We want to make it as easy as possible for motorists and businesses to access government services. Getting rid of needless bits of paper and making changes to free up drivers time is all part of our commitment to get rid of unnecessary red tape. We have already launched a free online service where drivers can check their own licence details.

‘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.’