Reaction To The Counterpart Abolition
As the new system comes into force following the Counterpart Abolition, drivers attempting to rent vehicles vent their frustration with the teething problems.
The counterpart Abolition finally happened on Monday 8th June and although we in the industry have been aware of this for a while it seems many of the general public were not aware.
As you know from our previous posts, we have tried our best to make our customers aware of the changes, but it seems not all companies or the government have done enough to prepare for the Counterpart Abolition if you ask some car hire customers
.
The @DVLAgovuk have officially got rid of the #Counterpart Driving License….#SoConfusing pic.twitter.com/kmHkCgz9dH
— Nathan Corbett (@nathjc) June 9, 2015
Tech Problems
Other peoples frustrations are not with the Counterpart Abolition but more with the new systems in place. We see this time and time again with new systems or heavy traffic days like the ‘Black Friday Sales’, the servers used are not equipped to handle the amount of traffic. Perhaps the government didn’t realise how many people hire cars on a daily basis..
@DVLA have planned the new Driving License System well #ServerError #Laughable #DVLA #Driving #License #Counterpart pic.twitter.com/hqzEjiXVj5
— Josh Cunningham (@Josh1C) June 8, 2015
Can’t access #DVLA website to retrieve code for driving abroad & phone line is out too. Absolute #farce
— Phil Waddicor (@PWCFreelance) June 8, 2015
Some Are Happy About The Counterpart Abolition
For some though, it is a welcome change. I myself tend to forget my counterpart when I am travelling and although most hire companies abroad have never required it, there was always the risk of them asking and not being able to provide a car without it.
Goodbye paper driving licence #counterpart. You’ll never ruin or impede my holidays abroad again!
— Lara Edwards (@LaraJEdwards) June 8, 2015
All in all we think its been a pretty standard change from the governments point of view, strange decision, not enough information and a kind of ‘just deal with it’ attitude. We think the car hire industry has dealt with it pretty well in the first few days and we will see how it goes moving forward.
If you have any questions about licence requirements then please don’t hesitate to contact one of our ‘car hire experts’.