MINISTER FOR TRANSPORT & TECHNICAL SERVICES
ROAD TRAFFIC (No57)( JERSEY ) REGULATIONS 200-
REPORT
These Regulations will enable a secure credit card style Jersey driving licence to be issued to residents of the Island after the appropriate identity checks have been carried out.
The current, pink, foldable cardboard Jersey driving licence has been in existence since 1 January 1994. Its computer platform is the States main frame VAX system and its computer software program is the now obsolete Dataflex 2.1.
In 2003 the States Information Technology Department indicated to DVS they wished to close the VAX system. This would necessitate the Driving Licence System being moved to another platform.
Driver & Vehicle Standards agreed and at the same time took the opportunity to investigate the possibility of re-programming the system software to a more modern one and introduce a credit card style Jersey driving licence. The pink, cardboard driving licence was no longer being accepted as a secure identity document as it was possible to forge or alter.
A working party was set up but the project foundered due to lack of funding.
Early in 2006 the newly formed Transport and Technical Services Department re-started the project. A project board including representatives from the parishes was formed and funding received from the States Information Technology Section.
A supplier was chosen and appointed, the software re-programmed with the ability to produce secure credit card style Jersey driving licences.
The No57 Regulations:-
(i) Define a permanent resident of Jersey
(ii) Ensure a parish only grants a driving licence to a permanent resident as defined in the regulations.
(iii) Empower the Minister for Transport and Technical Services to agree the identity criteria which applicants will have to meet before a parish issues a licence. This is to combat identity theft/fraud.
(iv) Increase the validity period of a driving licence from 5 to 10 years.
The new credit card style licence will:
(i) Conform to the 3rd EU Directive on Driving Licences.
(ii) Be a more secure, durable, difficult to forge and more convenient document.
(iii) Be more acceptable as a form of identity due to the increased security measures.
(iv) Be dealt with by the 12 parishes but the licences being printed and distributed centrally at the Town Hall.
MANPOWER IMPLICATIONS
None.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
None.
HUMAN RIGHTS IMPLICATIONS
These Regulations are Human Rights compliant.
MINISTER FOR TRANSPORT & TECHNICAL SERVICES
21 NOVEMBER 2006