Ill drivers win compensation

Some drivers could be in line for more than £90

Motorists who were wrongly charged for the renewal of short-term medical driving licences are to share £4.5m compensation, the government has said.

Up to 200,000 lorry and car drivers and motorcyclists could be eligible for an automatic refund, according to a statement from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency.

The agency had wrongly charged people with medical conditions requiring regular check-ups, for short-term licences.

The agency has now said that the licences, backed up by a medical certificate, should have been free for the over-70s.

Another "undetected legal anomaly" in 1998 added to the problem, and has meant some drivers of buses and lorries of 45 and over also missed out.

Regrets

The amount of compensation people will receive depends on the number of renewals they have made and the cost of payments.

During the period, the cost of renewing a car or motorbike licence ranged from £6 to £8.50 and the cost of renewing a bus or lorry licence from £26 to £32.50.

Are you eligible?

Car/motor cycle drivers who declared a medical condition to DVLA when renewing their licence after January 1997 and are aged 70 or ove

Lorry/bus drivers who have declared a medical condition when renewing their licence after July 1998 and are aged 45 or over

While licences were generally for a three year period, it is possible that some drivers paid a renewal fee up to three times during the period, the agency said.

If this were the case, a bus driver could receive a rebate of more than £90 or a car driver about £25.

The agency said it regretted the problems, and said all drivers seeking to renew their short-term medical driving licences would now be exempt from any renewal charge.

A spokesman said: "The DVLA is now arranging to refund the fees, with interest, to those affected. These will be issued automatically to those affected by the end of June.

"Having identified this, the DVLA has put in place procedures to minimise the risk of this problem happening again.

"DVLA regrets this matter and all drivers seeking to renew their short-term medical driving licences will now be exempt from any renewal charge.

"Refunds will be issued automatically and drivers affected need not take any action."

Telephone number: 0800 5877 664