Chief executive tweets photo of prototype and says it would be an add-on to photocard
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is working on a prototype of a smartphone driving licence – but giving away precious little about the details of the plan.
Chief executive officer Oliver Morley flagged up the work in a tweet, with a photo of an iPhone screen showing a licence. The accompanying message is “So here’s a little prototype of something we’re working on #drivinglicence”.
He followed it with another saying there is no timeline yet on the work, it is meant as an add-on for the photocard licence, not a replacement, and that security is a priority. He added that is possible because there is no longer a counterpart licence.
The DVLA has declined to provide any more details on the work, including whether it would be for Android phones as well as iPhones.
The agency has reduced the role of paper by doing away with the counterpart licence, and has been involved in a series of digital initiatives. In recent months these have included placing its Share Driving Licence service online and a real time driver data check.
