I am writing about anomalies occurring in relation to driving licences and endorsements.
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After applying to Swansea recently for an endorsement removal, my licence was returned to me just as I had sent it, together with my accompanying letter, plus a pre-printed reply (Form D.408) concerning the removal of endorsements.
Accepting what is written in the reply, I find it odd that the police, a magistrate's clerk and a Hertz Rental depot manager considered my licence, at the time of viewing, to have no current endorsements, even though an endorsement conviction dated December 12 1970, with an appeal giving sentence May 23, 1972. was contained in the licence.
The information I have from the police is that endorsements, even for drink or drugs charges, last for only four years. This is, apparently, the opinion of the Ashby-de-la-Zouch magistrate's clerk and the Hertz Rental manager.
However, the pre-printed reply from Swansea indicates the endorsements will remain for 11 years, because of a change in the law concerning drink or drugs convictions, which came into effect on October 1, 1975.
The anomaly occurs when considering that an endorsement could stay on a licence permanently if the law were to change periodically. Surely the endorsement should remain only as long as the law states at the time of conviction.
If a person were convicted of a crime, imprisoned and, after a change in the law, given a longer prison sentence than the original term, it would seem rather unjust and would create a public outcry.
I draw a parallel between this situation and my own particular situation with my licence. My problem becomes more real when considering my application in the very near future for re-issue of my psv licence and later my hgv licence.
If the first endorsement remains, it would only take a small error of judgment to leave me without a licence. I have two recent endorsements, received while using someone else's car, which I believed to be insured and roadworthy. (Name and address supplied.)