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The days of losing your ID could be over if supposed plans from the DVLA come to fruition.
The licensing agency’s chief executive Oliver Morley has taken to Twitter to offer a sneak peek of a digital version of the photo card currently used as identification, calling it a “prototype” of something the agency is working on.
So here's a little prototype of something we're working on #drivinglicence pic.twitter.com/a5eItrdiNI
— Oliver Morley (@omorley1) May 13, 2016
The image shows a UK driver’s licence appearing on an iPhone within the Wallet app – this is the same app that runs Apple Pay and where other loyalty cards can be stored.
According to Morley, the prototype is not supposed to be a replacement for physical cards but an alternative and has become possible thanks to the abolition of the counterpart paper aspect of UK driving licences.
1) prototype = no timeline yet
2) not replacement for photocard, an add-on
3) security our priority
4) possible because #nomorecounterpart— Oliver Morley (@omorley1) May 13, 2016
Obvious pluses to the prototype would be the removal of any waiting time to get a new licence should you lose it or need to change details – something that could be done on your phone instantly instead. It could also cut down on identity fraud by reducing the risk of document theft.
However, problems could arise if the device storing the licence runs out of battery – a problem that has affected some users of Apple Pay on the London Underground who have been unable to tap out due to their phone dying during the journey. Using a different device is the equivalent of using a different card and so can cause higher transport charges.
Digital driving licences have already been trialled in parts of the US and Australia and major passport manufacturer De La Rue has spoken of developing paperless passports in the future.
