If the government is unable to manage the renewal of photocard driving licences, what hope for ID cards? The badly designed card does not clearly state the expiry date after ten years and now thousands are driving, unaware that their status is illegal and that their insurance company could refuseto pay out claims. Let us not forget that renewal is an opportunity for the quango to profit from its monopoly:
Mr King [President of the AA] said that it should not cost £17.50 to change a photo when changes of name and address on a driving licence were free.
“This is expensive bureaucracy and, with passports and the introduction of ID cards, there is wasteful duplication. We would also question whether people's appearances change that dramatically every ten years. Photocards for public transport can be much older than ten years, so why should drivers be saddled with the cost and inconvenience of renewal?”
Even better is the non-compliance of pilots with the demand of the government that all airport workers carry ID cards. Unconvinced by the value of this innovation, BALPA, the pilots union is refusing to co-operate. Worst case scenario is that their refusal would force them to stop flying. The government's recognition of this crisis, like all crises, was eerily familiar; (what crisis?):
No case had been made to demonstrate that ID cards would improve security, Mr McAuslan said, and he asked what would happen if airport workers refused to register for a card.
“Our understanding from the draft regulations is that the individual will be
out of a job. This could be an individual who has served his or her country
as a service pilot being told they are not now trusted. This is unacceptable
and demeaning and we will resist.”...
The Identity and Passport Service said: “Identity cards will benefit workers – not just by improving security, but also by speeding up pre-employment checks and increasing the efficiency of pass-issuing arrangements.”
Three cheers for BALPA and god knows how little I support any trade union. Just remember that these are 'voluntary' ID cards you are forced to pay for, renew, and keep updated on pain of a criminal offence. I am with Old Holborn on the lampposts: on the assumption that Ministers would be auseful stopping point for dogs to mark their territory.