S.I. No. 337/1979 - Road Traffic (Licensing of Drivers) (Amendment) Regulations, 1979.


S.I. No. 337 of 1979.

ROAD TRAFFIC (LICENSING OF DRIVERS) (AMENDMENT) REGULATIONS, 1979.

The Minister for the Environment in exercise of the powers conferred on him by sections 5 , 22 , 33 , 35 and 42 of the Road Traffic Act, 1961 (No. 24 of 1961) hereby makes the following Regulations:

1. (1) These Regulations may be cited as the Road Traffic (Licensing of Drivers) (Amendment) Regulations, 1979.

(2) These Regulations and the Road Traffic (Licensing of Drivers) Regulations, 1964 to 1975, shall be construed as one and may be cited together as the Road Traffic (Licensing of Drivers) Regulations, 1964 to 1979.

(3) In these Regulations " the Principal Regulations " means the Road Traffic (Licensing of Drivers) Regulations, 1964 ( S.I. No. 29 of 1964 ).

2. (1) Sub-article (2) of article 19 of the Principal Regulations is hereby amended by the substitution for the words " six months " of the words " twelve months ".

(2) Paragraph (a) of sub-article (5) of article 19 of the Principal Regulations is hereby amended by the substitution for clause (ii) of the following:

"(ii) a person provisionally licensed to drive vehicles of Class C, Class D or Class F shall drive a vehicle of any such class only while—

(A) he is accompanied by and is under the supervision of a qualified person, or

(B) there are displayed on the vehicle rectangular plates or signs bearing the letter "L" not less than six inches high in red on a white ground, in clearly visible vertical positions to the front and rear of the vehicle."

3. Article 20 of the Principal Regulations as amended by the Road Traffic (Licensing of Drivers) (Amendment) Regulations, 1973 ( S.I. No. 120 of 1973 ) is hereby amended by the substitution for the words "two pounds" of the words "four pounds".

4. Article 27 of the Principal Regulations is hereby amended by the substitution for sub-article (1) of the following sub-article:

"(1) The fee to be paid to the issuing authority on application for a certificate of competency shall be ten pounds, where the application relates to vehicles of Class D or Class E, and six pounds in any other case."

5. Article 29 of the Principal Regulations (as substituted by the Road Traffic (Licensing of Drivers) (Amendment) Regulations, 1969 ( S.I. No. 140 of 1969 )) is hereby amended by the substitution for sub-article (1) of the following sub-article:

"(1) ( a ) An application by a person for a driving licence shall be accompanied by a certificate of competency where the application relates to a class or classes without limitation or to a specified type of vehicle belonging to a class in respect of which the applicant is not or was not for any period within the period of five years preceding the commencement day the holder of a driving licence, unless

(i) the applicant is resident in the State and the application relates to a class or classes without limitation, or to a specified type of vehicle belonging to a class, in respect of which the applicant holds a valid driving licence (not being a licence issued to a person to enable him to learn to drive), issued to him by the competent authority of a member state, other than Ireland, of the European Economic Communities, or

(ii) the application relates to vehicles of Class A, Class C or Class G, and the applicant holds a valid provisional licence in respect of vehicles of such class or classes on the day on which these Regulations come into operation and has, prior to such day, held at least one other such licence.

( b ) Notwithstanding paragraph (a) of this sub-article, where a decision on an application for a certificate of fitness to accompany an application for a driving licence was deferred pending the production of a certificate of competency, the application shall be accompanied by a certificate of competency. "

6. The form set out in Part III of the First Schedule to the Principal Regulations is hereby amended by the insertion in paragraph 2 on Page 2 of the form after "qualified person" of"or there are displayed on the vehicle rectangular plates or signs bearing the letter "L" not less than six inches high in red on a white ground, in clearly visible vertical positions to the front and rear of the vehicle."

7. The form set out in Part IV of the First Schedule to the Principal Regulations is hereby amended by the substitution for "6 months" of"twelve months".

GIVEN under the Official Seal of the Minister for the Environment

this 11th day of October 1979.

SYLVESTER BARRETT,

Minister for the Environment.

EXPLANATORY NOTE.

These Regulations amend the Road Traffic (Licensing of Drivers) Regulations, 1964, in relation to the conditions governing provisional licences, the rates of fees for driving tests, and the circumstances in which an application for a driving licence is required to be accompanied by a certificate of competency.