- May 29, 2013
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From todays Telegraph. But I am ahead of the game, I photographed both sides of my license on my smartphone. Saved all the millions in costs that the Gov. undoubtedly incurred !
Driving licences are to be digitised and put onto smartphones later this year, it has been reported.
The Times claimed the public will soon be able to have a digital version of the licence on a Government app.
It will be used for buying alcohol, boarding domestic flights and voting, it was reported.
The newspaper added that full and provisional licences will continue to be available in their traditional, non-virtual form over fears that making them “mandatory” would infringe civil liberties.
Jack Cousens, the head of roads policy at AA, told the newspaper: “There are clearly some benefits of having a digital licence, especially if you are pulled over by the police and need to show your documents.
“However, it may be some time before it could be used and accepted abroad. Drivers already feel embarrassed if they’ve left their licence at home when hiring a car on holiday, but they’ll be annoyed if their digital licence won’t be accepted.”
The licences will be put onto a new “Gov.uk” app developed by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), following in the footsteps of Australia, Denmark and Norway where digital driving licences already exist.
But users will not be able to add them to Apple or Google wallets, limiting their ease of use.
“This is not about replacing the photocard but giving people the option of having their licence on their phone and allowing them a new way to prove their identity and age,” one source was quoted as saying.
“The photocard, be it a provisional or full licence, is the main form of ID used in the UK and this will be an extension of that.”
The veteran card and National Insurance (NI) numbers may also be added to the Gov.uk app in the future, it was reported.
It is said that the app will also be protected by multi-factor authentication to prevent the digital IDs being misused.
Driving licences were first issued at the start of the 20th century and their last major change was when they became a credit card-sized piece of plastic in 1998.
Driving licences are to be digitised and put onto smartphones later this year, it has been reported.
The Times claimed the public will soon be able to have a digital version of the licence on a Government app.
It will be used for buying alcohol, boarding domestic flights and voting, it was reported.
The newspaper added that full and provisional licences will continue to be available in their traditional, non-virtual form over fears that making them “mandatory” would infringe civil liberties.
Jack Cousens, the head of roads policy at AA, told the newspaper: “There are clearly some benefits of having a digital licence, especially if you are pulled over by the police and need to show your documents.
“However, it may be some time before it could be used and accepted abroad. Drivers already feel embarrassed if they’ve left their licence at home when hiring a car on holiday, but they’ll be annoyed if their digital licence won’t be accepted.”
The licences will be put onto a new “Gov.uk” app developed by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), following in the footsteps of Australia, Denmark and Norway where digital driving licences already exist.
But users will not be able to add them to Apple or Google wallets, limiting their ease of use.
“This is not about replacing the photocard but giving people the option of having their licence on their phone and allowing them a new way to prove their identity and age,” one source was quoted as saying.
“The photocard, be it a provisional or full licence, is the main form of ID used in the UK and this will be an extension of that.”
The veteran card and National Insurance (NI) numbers may also be added to the Gov.uk app in the future, it was reported.
It is said that the app will also be protected by multi-factor authentication to prevent the digital IDs being misused.
Driving licences were first issued at the start of the 20th century and their last major change was when they became a credit card-sized piece of plastic in 1998.
