Motorbike Catagory on my Licence

[Janezz9]

I got stopped in my car recently.
Really I think I was the wrong motorist as the police only wanted to see my driving licence.
To my surprise the police man asked if I rode a motor bike to which I replied I had never been on a motorbike in my life.
My green licence was showing the motorbike catagory and it was taken from me and a receipt issued.
I got a letter from the DVLA with a form to complete asking for my passport details for my photograph and a new licence has been issued minus the motorbike catagory.
I suspect an error was made when I surrendered my old red licence and the new one was issued by the DVLA.
I am just wandering what would have happened if I had relied on the licence and riden a motorbike and got stopped for something and it was found out I had never passed a test for that vehicle.

Jane

[ChuckFickens]

You probably would have got away with it. The DVLA have removed the motorbike entitlement from several peoples licenses by mistake and when questioned about it their first response is always "we don't make mistakes".

[ChuckFickens]

BTW, was it a full or provisional entitlement?

[ojread2]

Red licence?

[sunny-dave]

Pink actually - before the new photocard version.

[shoota]

Isn't it down to you to check that it is correct before you sign it?

[Graham-W]

OJread2
The old Red licence was a small book with stick in pages for re-newing your licence. This was changed to the green paper licence in about 1974ish. This was then followed by a pink paper licence before the current photocard licence.
There's me showing my age. I'm still using the green paper licence.

[Janezz9]

Hi ChuckFickens

It was full entitlement.

Jane

[ojread2]

Thanks Graham - I've never seen or heard of a red licence, but am old enough to have had a green one lol

[d9f1c7]

Well DVLA have made c0ckups in the past a removed entitlements. There were several cases where riders had to do their test again. So on that basis I'd say you'd be fine, they can't have it both ways. The DVLA tend to stick to the line that their systems are 100% accurate at all times. Well Until Watchdog got hold of it!

[Vicasso]

I've got the old green document showing my full car and motorbike entitlements. Having read this thread, i think I might make a photocopy just in case I am asked to surrender it

[Janezz9]

Hi Graham

From memory the old red licence had to be renewed every 3 years.
I know they were issued by the local council area.
I started with one issued in Warwickshire and then it was Bedfordshire as I moved about the time it expired and another by Hartfordshire ( I think ) and then Warwickshire again.
Probably moving to different areas caused some of the confusion.
I can also remember the old green log books.
I can remember I had to inform the local authority when I moved but I do not know how cars were registered. I can remember moving to Bedfordshire and driving around on a Birmingham number plate.
I am now driving on a Yorkshire number plate in the West Midlands.

Jane

[tonyav]

Coincidently Jane, I have a Yorkshire number plate and also live in the West Midands.

[Graham-W]

A quick look and I have found my old red licence.I last renewed it in 1976 for a fee of £5.
I note I got an endorsement and a £5.00 fine in 1972 for defective brakes. Should I still be informing my insurers of this?

[carrot99]

I might have issued your licence, Graham, if you lived in SE London. My first job after leaving school was working at the driving licence office in Lambeth. I was there from 1973 to 1976, we were issuing temporary licences in the red book and sending your form off to Swansea so you received your green computerised licence.

[Graham-W]

No, Carrot99. My licence is from West Riding of Yorkshire, although my endorsement is from Marlborough St. Magistrates court, South Westminster.
1957 Ford Pop and the handbrake didn't work IIRC.

[Janezz9]

Hi Graham

I paid £5 for my Green Licence which lasted until I was 70.
My replacement one with a photograph lasts until I am 70 and it was issued free of charge.
I think replacement licences are free from 70 onwards.
I had a £2 fine once as my tax disk fell off the windscreen but no endorsement. That is the only time I was in trouble with the law.
I did not attend court as it would have cost more in petrol as it happened in Canterbury and I lived in Birmingham at the time.

Jane

[FredPuli43]

Yes, I had a red licence (passed test in 1965). Do you mean to say they're not used ? Time flies, doesn't it? You still need that scruffy bit of green paper with your licence. In Britain, you still need to show it if you hire a car. Strictly, if you read the terms, the big hire companies say you should have it to show abroad, but I've never been asked for it abroad.

[jomifl]

I passed my bike test in about '63 and my car test in about '65. I am entitled to drive far more classes of vehicles than people who have passed recently although the modern test is I believe far more stringent. It seems a bit unfair to me.

[factor-fiction]

An error may have been made, Clive

[Janezz9]

Hi Factor30

Do we know each other?.
My late father's name is Clive.

Jane