British Embassy: Driving license agreement to be presented to Spanish Cabinet ‘very soon’

THE BRITISH embassy in Spain has published a update on driver’s license negotiationsstating that the deal that will allow UK license holders to get back on the roads legally will be brought before the Spanish Council of Ministers “very soon”.

Since May 1 of last year, any person residing in the country who has not exchanged or has not been able to exchange their British document for a Spanish one has been prohibited from driving on the country’s roads.

This has led to an agonizing wait for victims of the situationas the two countries reached a post-Brexit agreement on the sharing of driver information and the issue of license sharing.

The problem affects not only UK citizens, but also Irish, German and Spanish citizens.

According to recent embassy postings, the deal has been agreed but still needs to go through several steps before it is finally published in the Official State Gazette (BOE), allowing UK license holders to get back on the roads. for a period of six months while they exchange their documents for Spanish ones.

“We know that you are anxious to know when the driving license agreement will pass to the Council of Ministers,” reads today’s message, referring to the Spanish Council of Ministers.

“We continue to press the Spanish government for a precise date and, although they have not yet confirmed it, they have assured us that it will be very soon,” he continues. ‘We recognize that this is frustrating but, as a process of the Spanish Government, it is out of our hands. Thank you for your patience.’

While some Facebook users expressed gratitude for the update, many others expressed exasperation that the driving ban has been in place for more than nine months.

‘Please continue to pressure the Spanish people to get this done,’ wrote Lynn Kelity-Woolcock. I have many true stories to share that this is destroying mental well-being and causing untold harm to people. We need to regain our independence.

Others expressed bewilderment at the lack of information offered by both sides of the negotiations regarding the delay, which the British ambassador to Spain, Hugh Elliott, has previously insisted is not related to post-Brexit negotiations on Gibraltar.

“Can you formally ask the Spanish authorities to hold a joint press conference and explain why this has taken so long, while all the other EU countries have never banned us from driving while negotiations were ongoing?” asked a user named Xiam Zamuya.

In its previous update on the situation, published on January 16, the embassy recommended users to reserve their medical aptitude test, which is required before the license can be changed. Known in Spanish as the psychotechnicalthe short exam checks eyesight and reactions.

However, as some activist groups have pointed out, the results of these tests are only valid for three months. If the situation were to continue for that time, some victims could see their aptitude tests expire and they must be repeated at an extra cost.

U-TURN CAMPAIGN

The Olive Press has been highlighting the problem plaguing readers across Spain with its ‘U-turn campaign’, and is determined to shed light on their experiences in the hope of increasing pressure on the authorities for a solution to the problem is a priority.

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