Drivers unable to supply own photos for new licences
Drivers renewing their licences or those applying for the first time this year will not be able to supply their own photos for use on the licences.
A European credit card-style licence is being phased in here from January 19, and drivers will no longer be able to use regular chemist or photo booth images on their licences.
Instead, the picture will have to be taken by the company appointed by the Road Safety Authority to process the licences.
Head of Photo Me Photo Booths Tadhg Foley said the news was bad for the consumer.
"You don't get a choice of what photograph to use, which you may have to look at for up to 10 years," he said.
"Secondly, you don't have the convenience of going to any one of 2,000 locations (to get your photograph taken)."
The Road Safety Authority said drivers would have to have their photo taken at one of the designated centres just once, for the first licence, to verify their identity.
Thereafter, they can send in their own photographs for licence renewals.
