New driving licence rules have been given the green light to be introduced following a fast-tracked consultation last month.
Proposals set out in January looked to extend the amount of time given to motorists from Ukraine to exchange their licence for a Great Britain licence.
Plans suggested that the Ukraine driving licence scheme would be extended by an additional 18 months, increasing the time of use to 54 months after the holder becomes a resident.
The Department for Transport has now confirmed that action will take place and drivers will have more time to make changes to their licences once they become a resident.
Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing[email protected]
The Government said it would introduce ‘secondary legislation’ to the current driving licence rules
PA
The outcome stated: “Government will introduce secondary legislation to extend the period for which eligible Ukrainian driving licence holders can drive in Great Britain.”
The consultation, which ran from January 6 to January 19, will allow Ukrainian driving licence holders to be treated as holding a Great Britain (GB) driving licence within the country.
Originally, the exchange policy was proposed in May 2023 and agreed in June 2023 following overwhelming public support from Britons.
In total, 99 per cent of respondents agreed there should be an extension. A further 89 per cent backed the proposed 36-month (three years) extension.
The Department for Transport said this would work in line with the Ukrainian visa schemes and would help thousands of Ukrainians to continue going about their daily lives.
While the consultation stated that the DfT would publish responses within three months, it has taken just under three weeks to approve the policy changes.
Based on data from June last year, 208,900 Ukrainian nationals have so far arrived in the UK under one of the visa schemes and 33,000 have been granted an extension to an existing permission to stay because of the conflict.
It is believed that many of these hold a Ukrainian driving licence and could be approaching the point where they need to obtain a GB licence to stay on the roads.
Ministers will be hoping that the extension to the programme will ensure those who need to exchange their licences have more time to do so.
Lilian Greenwood, Minister for Future of Roads, said the DfT had been actively engaging with people from Ukraine to make their transition to living in the UK “as seamless as possible”.
She added: “We recognise, however, that continuing this transition is not always straightforward, and one area where Ukrainian arrivals must adapt, is in motoring.
“The continued ability of Ukrainians to get around is integral to integrating, socialising, accessing healthcare and working during their time in the UK.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
The Department for Transport said it was doing all it could to help Ukrainians adjust to life in the UK
PA
“Given the exceptional and temporary nature of Ukrainians’ residence in the UK under the Ukrainian Visa Schemes, this consultation is on proposals to enable Ukrainians to continue to drive in Great Britain without the need to exchange their licence.”