Barry Ward (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State to the House. The issue I raise relates to driver licensing. Until 2006, it was standard in this country that the B category licence people hold, that is, an ordinary car licence, also included other categories, namely, the W category for work vehicles and the AM category for mopeds. On the back of the driving licence the categories people are qualified to drive in are listed, and AM and W were automatically added when people passed a driving test and received their licence to drive a car.

That stopped from 2006 onwards. There was no fanfare or publicity about it. The change meant that people who did their car test still received a W licence, but no longer received an AM licence for mopeds. These categories are important because they allow people living on family farms to drive tractors and so on without having to do a separate test. It means that young people, in particular, especially those in urban areas, cannot now use mopeds.

Mopeds are a very effective means of transport, in particular in urban areas and for people in younger age categories who may not have the means to go through the process of getting a licence to drive or to buy a motorbike. The cost involved is not insubstantial. People who want to drive a moped, or any kind of motorbike, which is the A category, must go through the process of having 18 hours of lessons, doing a theory test, passing a driving test and getting a licence. The costs involved for lessons alone, even at €50 an hour, are nearly €1,000. On top of that, it costs €85 to do a test, €35 for a learner permit, €55 for a licence and €45 for a theory test. That imposes additional costs of over €1,200 on people, which they would not have to pay if the AM category was automatically included on their licences to allow them to drive mopeds.

At a time when we are saying we want to take cars off the road and reduce emissions, mopeds are a very effective tool for people to do exactly that. They are much more fuel efficient than cars and create far fewer emissions. They also take cars off the road. They are an opportunity for younger people from the age of 17 upwards to avail of a private transport model that does not involve the expense, pollution and traffic congestion caused by cars.

The only reason I have ever been given for the change is that there may be a road safety element, in that people need special training to drive a motorbike. I do not dispute that. However, the reality is that anybody who has passed a driving test for a B licence, that is, the ordinary licence we all think of as a driving licence, has already done a theory test, undergone 12 hours of driver training and taken the test. That person has a level of expertise in terms of road safety, understanding other road users and the importance of behaving in a responsible manner on the road.

I do not think there were a large number of accidents involving those who hold B licences driving mopeds without the road safety expertise required to drive a motorbike. While I accept that there might be a case in terms of road safety, I do not think the decision has been properly thought out. Nobody has ever shown me evidence to suggest that people with full driver licences are not capable of driving a moped. I do not necessarily accept that is the case. There is no evidence that I am aware of to suggest there has been a certain number of accidents in this regard.

The major problem is that this change specifically targeted particular groups in society, namely, younger people, people without means and people who cannot afford to run a car. It was a retrograde step but, perhaps most important, it is out of step with our European neighbours. Most countries in Europe provide an AM licence with other licences automatically. We do not, and I do not know why that is the case. I hope the Minister of State will consider changing that.