Towing with and without a licence

The whole thing should be scrapped imo and everyone should just be able to tow on their B licence.

Its only in the last few years I even knew there was such a thing as the BE licence (and if I didn't read about it on this forum I probably still wouldn't tbh as its never something you hear about) despite spending years pulling heavy loads with jeeps and vans that would have been well in excess of the limits (in many cases even too heavy for a BE licence).

Add to that the fact I'm towing very large loads with very large trailers perfectly legally since I was 16 with tractors I can't really see the point of the BE. I was towing a 15 tonne load perfectly legally a few weeks ago with tractor and trailer yet I could be illegal pulling a bit of a tonne with a jeep, makes zero sense to me.

TrailerBob

The issue there is actually with agricultural vehicle licenses. How a 16 year old can be let drive a 180horse machine on the road with a 28ft bale trailer loaded to the hilt at 60kmh without so much as any kind of test is beyond me. And I speak as a lad who started driving tractors at 9... working up to low loader with an 18ton track machine on it by 17...but I always thought it was strange.

As for the BE, the increased popularity of horses and show jumping/eventing means more people towing than ever, some of whom may not ever have had experience before. It’s right that it’s is there, and for me, it’s not nearly detailed enough. No practical demo of coupling a trailer. No demonstration of how to safely load,balance or strap down a load on a trailer, which is far more of a safety issue than being able to reverse slowly around a corner.

Wishbone Ash

mullingar wrote: »

No. Afaik, There was an amnesty period, it's now long gone

So the NDLS and DTT are providing incorrect information?

And why would there be an 'amnesty period' for an entitlement?

To apply or a BE learner permit you need to have completed a Driver Theory Test*. If you have already successfully passed a Driver Theory Test you can apply directly to the NDLS to have a BE learner permit issued to you.

If you have never successfully passed a Driver Theory Test then you need to apply for a Car Theory Test.

*Unless you were awarded a full category B licence on or before 12th November 1989, in which case you already have acquired rights for a BE licence. Please apply directly to the NDLS for this.

https://theorytest.ie/general-information/faqs/

Del2005

Cora Little Tripod wrote: »

The whole thing should be scrapped imo and everyone should just be able to tow on their B licence.

Its only in the last few years I even knew there was such a thing as the BE licence (and if I didn't read about it on this forum I probably still wouldn't tbh as its never something you hear about) despite spending years pulling heavy loads with jeeps and vans that would have been well in excess of the limits (in many cases even too heavy for a BE licence).

Add to that the fact I'm towing very large loads with very large trailers perfectly legally since I was 16 with tractors I can't really see the point of the BE. I was towing a 15 tonne load perfectly legally a few weeks ago with tractor and trailer yet I could be illegal pulling a bit of a tonne with a jeep, makes zero sense to me.

So you think that having a BE licence and requiring people to pass a test is a waste while you admit to dangerous driving by towing too large a load for the vehicle. This is exactly why the RSA have had to clamp down on people taking the p1ss when towing.

The new tractor NCT has shown that the cowboys are still on the road, but at least this time it wasn't a different country that informed us that our commercial vehicles aren't safe.

https://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/two-thirds-of-large-commercial-tractors-fail-new-nct-style-test-902828.html

alias no.9

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

So the NDLS and DTT are providing incorrect information?

And why would there be an 'amnesty period' for an entitlement?




https://theorytest.ie/general-information/faqs/

The grandfathered entitlement to the BE license was time limited and expired a number of years back, I know a few who hurried to get it done at the time. If it's not marked up on your licence, it can't be done now.

Wishbone Ash

alias no.9 wrote: »

The grandfathered entitlement to the BE license was time limited and expired a number of years back, I know a few who hurried to get it done at the time. If it's not marked up on your licence, it can't be done now.

Why would the NDLS and the DTT continue to provide the information on their websites?

donkey balls

Del2005 wrote: »

So you think that having a BE licence and requiring people to pass a test is a waste while you admit to dangerous driving by towing too large a load for the vehicle. This is exactly why the RSA have had to clamp down on people taking the p1ss when towing.

The new tractor NCT has shown that the cowboys are still on the road, but at least this time it wasn't a different country that informed us that our commercial vehicles aren't safe.

https://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/two-thirds-of-large-commercial-tractors-fail-new-nct-style-test-902828.html

What country informed us that our commercial vehicle's are not safe ? never heard that before.

alias no.9

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

Why would the NDLS and the DTT continue to provide the information on their websites?

No idea but a quick Google tells me the cutoff was 2013. It reads as if it had been a bone of contention for people who held their license before 1989 and had not had it officially marked up so they had a time limited window to get it marked up.

This is a link to a parliamentary question and answer..

http://seankyne.ie/pq-no-534-12th-november-driving-licence-category-changes/

To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he outline the type of theory test and driving test that will be required for persons without the EB category of licence who held a car licence previously permitting the theory of trailers prior to the legislative change..

– Seán Kyne.



Answered by the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport Leo Varadkar

REPLY

Prior to 1989 there was a single licence category covering cars and the drawing of trailers with cars. In that year, a change in Regulations was made, so that the drawing of a trailer with a car became a separate category. People who previously held the single category had the option, when renewing their licences, of applying for both of the new categories.

It appears that, in some cases, people did not tick the appropriate box and therefore lost their trailer entitlement. I agreed, as a once-off measure, that the Road Safety Authority should accommodate people who could prove that they held a full licence before 1989 in reclaiming the trailer entitlement.

The once-off concession applied only to those who held full driving licences in 1989. Those who qualified for a full licence after 1989 were required to take a separate test in order to qualify for a trailer licence.

The RSA advertised the procedure for applying to reclaim the trailer entitlement, and the closure date was 8 November 2013.

There were no tests involved – the point of the exercise was to allow those who had previously held a trailer entitlement to reclaim it.

Del2005

donkey balls wrote: »

What country informed us that our commercial vehicle's are not safe ? never heard that before.

VOSA had to tell us the the DOE was a farce, which lead to us doing the CVRT.

donkey balls

Del2005 wrote: »

VOSA had to tell us the the DOE was a farce, which lead to us doing the CVRT.

VOSA aka DVSA? Text book merchants Wanna be cops who have their own interpretation of the EU regs.
A private company for profit.

mickdw

Do I have to do a theory test again if I got my B licence prior to theory test coming in but have done the theory test for C Licence and hold a C licence learner permit.

Tzardine

mickdw wrote: »

Do I have to do a theory test again if I got my B licence prior to theory test coming in but have done the theory test for C Licence and hold a C licence learner permit.

You do.

pa990

I've got A B C D W , my resolution for 2018 was to get B+E

I didn't do one fcuking lesson.

2019.. this is the year.

CiniO

pa990 wrote: »

I've got A B C D W , my resolution for 2018 was to get B+E

I didn't do one fcuking lesson.

2019.. this is the year.

Why don't you do CE ?

If you already have A B C D, then CE would give you BE, CE and DE

blackbox

Cora Little Tripod wrote: »

The whole thing should be scrapped imo and everyone should just be able to tow on their B licence.

Its only in the last few years I even knew there was such a thing as the BE licence (and if I didn't read about it on this forum I probably still wouldn't tbh as its never something you hear about) despite spending years pulling heavy loads with jeeps and vans that would have been well in excess of the limits (in many cases even too heavy for a BE licence).

Add to that the fact I'm towing very large loads with very large trailers perfectly legally since I was 16 with tractors I can't really see the point of the BE. I was towing a 15 tonne load perfectly legally a few weeks ago with tractor and trailer yet I could be illegal pulling a bit of a tonne with a jeep, makes zero sense to me.

If you're that good, you should have no problem passing a test. You might even be able to give the instructor and tester a few pointers!

mullingar

Cost me €300 odd to get my BE license a few years ago, between the license fees, thoery test, 2x lessons just so I knew the test route and had use of their horse box with all the concrete blocks in-situ.

shinikins

Tzardine wrote: »

You do.

Not true. If a theory test for C or D categories is on the driver record or presented for an application, the applicant can also apply for the BE category.

Wishbone Ash

CiniO wrote: »

Why don't you do CE ?

If you already have A B C D, then CE would give you BE, CE and DE

It would also give you C1E, D1E.

Del2005

donkey balls wrote: »

VOSA aka DVSA? Text book merchants Wanna be cops who have their own interpretation of the EU regs.
A private company for profit.

Still resulted in the DOE being shown as being completely corrupt and our introduction of commercial vehicle inspectors.

pa990

CiniO wrote: »

Why don't you do CE ?

If you already have A B C D, then CE would give you BE, CE and DE

It'll be easier & cheaper to do BE, no interest in ever driving CE