U-turn on use of public services card for driving licence may cost millions

A government U-turn on making it a mandatory requirement for people to use a public services card (PSC) to apply for a driving licence or learner permit, from April 9, could cost several million euro.

The Department of Transport was warned, in March, that the decision by Transport Minister, Shane Ross, not to proceed with the mandatory use of the card, would have “significant implications” for the Road Safety Authority, which oversees the driving licensing and testing system.

RSA chief executive, Moyagh Murdock, said some of the €2m that had been spent on IT and communications for the proposed changes, would have to be written-off, while an annual, €7m contract for staffing National Driver Licence Service centres, which was due to end in February, 2019, may have to be extended.