Unrealistic on licences: FTA
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• The timetable for introduction of a common EEC driving licence is totally unrealistic, the Freight Transport Association has told the Department of the Environment. The EEC plan calls for the new licence to be introduced by January 1 1974, but the ETA sees a phased programme of action over the next 4/5 years as being more practical.
Although the ETA sees advantage in mutual recognition of national driving licences it does not feel that the actual licence itself should be standardized until after driving tests and other standards have been harmonized.
In theory, the Association is in favour of regular medical examinations of all drivers as proposed by the EEC. In practice, however, it feels such a scheme would be totally unrealistic and would place a totally unacceptable burden on the medical services. Attention should be given however, to a more sophisticated eye-sight test.
The proposal that each EEC member country should be allowed to suspend licences issued by another is totally rejected by the FTA.