[jamauk]

It's something that I have heard a lot about recently and something I'm sure must have come up one here previously.

Has anyone heard if there are any plans to scrap the manual/automatic licence category? Especially with there being an increasing number of electric vehicles and SMG/auto boxes on the roads, the number of manual vehicles is likely to be decreasing rapidly.

[Santa]

There is a proposal but it only goes part-way towards scrapping the distinction:

Automatic drivers will soon be able to also drive a manual vehicle as long as they can already drive a manual vehicle in another category.


The changes will effect the car and trailer (B+E) category, medium-sized lorry (C1) and its trailer towing equivalent (C1+E) and the minibus (D1) and its trailer towing
equivalent (D1+E).

It's worth mentioning that there has never been a distinction for drivers of HGVs Class C or C+e (Class 1 and 2) Most Heavy trucks are automatic these days anyway.

[Drivingforfun]

Just my opinion but I don't really see the point in a distinction

I feel I was probably more of a risk driving an automatic for the first time as a manual driver, than someone who was in the opposite scenario

The worst a manual novice could do is stall / delay other road users, whereas someone new to an auto can cause damage

Though...I'd be more than happy if having a manual license in future made me more desirable, like an older person today having automatic minibus/trailer rights!

[esther598]

@jamauk Hello,
There has been some discussion about this topic recently. While there isn’t a complete plan to scrap the manual/automatic license category, there are proposals to make some changes. For instance, automatic drivers might soon be allowed to drive manual vehicles if they can already drive a manual vehicle in another category, such as medium-sized lorries or minibuses.

The increasing prevalence of electric vehicles and automatic transmissions is indeed reducing the number of manual vehicles on the roads. This shift might eventually lead to more significant changes in licensing categories in the future.
Best Regards
esther598

[Mdb51]

I had heard from my brother that bus & coach drivers who passed on an auto could be allowed to drive a manual, however, that was only the case IF the driver had previously passed a test in a manual car first.

I later decided to check this out and got it confirmed by the DVLA but whether this has been introduced or not I am not sure.