Stick or twist: motorist told to ‘resit manual test’ after 41 years
A motorist who passed her driving test 41 years ago as a teenager has been told she has the wrong code to drive a manual car and must take a retest to get a full licence.
Olivia de Frias told The Royal Gazette that she was stunned to get the instruction after trying to renew her licence at the Transport Control Department last week, having only ever driven a car with a gear stick.
Ms de Frias said: “I came to TCD to renew my driving licence, only to be told that my codes are for automatic bikes and cars.
“I took my driving tests for manual bike and car when I was 18 years old.”
She added: “My family and I have never owned automatic cars. I have always driven manual cars, as that is always what we have bought.
“I am one of the few that still buy manual cars and wait until they arrive, as they are not always in stock.”
She was deeply unhappy to be told by TCD to take a physical driving test for what she alleged were “mistakes they made in transferring their paperwork to electronic records” and she opted not to do so.
TCD denied yesterday that driving-licence records were transferred from paper files and insisted a 2007 electronic transfer was successful, with “no evidence of a systemic error” and “no changes to licence-classification codes”.
It promised to look into any concerns of inaccuracy.
Ms de Frias said: “I did not take the test as they had indicated.”
Instead, she renewed her licence, which now only lets her drive automatic cars, but she added: “I am still driving my [manual] car, as I have no other option for transportation.”
Ms de Frias, who last renewed her licence in 2016, asked: “Why should I have to pay for their errors? I am very upset about this.
“How many others out there have not checked their codes and they are noted wrong?”
She posted about what happened on Facebook, and others commented to say they had had similar experiences with TCD.
“Two of my co-workers also have the wrong codes on their licences as well,” she said. “Did the codes change?”
Ms de Frias recalled details of her driving lessons and the test she took at 18.
“I remember vividly how my driving instructor, David Hayward, from Good News Driving School, took me to the hill past Island Construction, heading towards Ocean View Golf Course so that I could practise clutch control from the bottom to the top and back again,” she said.
“Back then, the instructor cars had two steering wheels. All of my family knew that I took that driving test.”
She said the situation was “strange, for sure”.
“Something happened, but TCD is denying there was an issue.”
The Transport Control Department said in a statement it took the accuracy of driver records seriously and had looked into the concerns raised.
“When TCD’s Driver and Vehicle Registration System went live in 2007, licence and vehicle data was transferred electronically from the department’s previous computer system, AS400, where the information was already held.
“Driving-licence records were not transferred from paper files.
“A review of the licence history file confirms that historical records, including licence issue dates dating back to the 1970s, were migrated successfully.
“The department has found no evidence of a systemic error during that conversion and there have been no changes to licence-classification codes.”
The statement said drivers who believed their licence showed the wrong class could ask TCD to review their records.
“For many years, the medical forms and pass slips completed at the time of a driving test were microfilmed and retained by the department and these historical records are still available.
“Registration staff already consult these records when preparing driving-history reports, such as for residents applying for licences overseas, and the same review can be carried out for any driver who believes their record is incorrect.”
The department said it could investigate specific records only when it had details of the person affected.
It added: “The department has not received a pattern of complaints about this issue and, without the names of those involved, cannot establish whether any discrepancies exist.
“Anyone who believes their licence classification is incorrect, including the individuals mentioned in the query, is encouraged to contact TCD directly or visit the department in person with their current licence and any supporting documents.
“Each case will be reviewed thoroughly and any verified errors will be corrected promptly.”
Drivers can contact TCD on 292-1271 or e-mail tcd@gov.bm.
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