Connexion reader Ron Kirk expects to be heading for the US next year after all, having received confirmation of regaining his large motorbike driving licence category after The Connexion chased up his case with his prefecture.
Mr Kirk, 79, an author from Brittany, plans to celebrate the 250th anniversary of US independence with American friends during a motorbike tour similar to one he did in the early 2000s.
He had been seeking to regain the category since the British embassy reported negotiating for recognition of the category to be maintained for people swapping a UK licence for a French licence.
Passing a test
Problems had occurred due to the French authorities assuming that people who obtained the category decades ago in the UK may have gained it automatically and without passing a dedicated test – which was not the case.
Ron KirkRon Kirk
In the case of exchanges that were made before September 2017, queries must now be made directly to the local prefecture which originally issued the French licence. In Mr Kirk’s case this was in Brittany.
However, he turned to us when his requests to regain the category faltered. We spoke to the prefecture about his case and stated that the UK has never issued category A automatically.
He has now shown us a new attestation de droits sécurisée provided by the authorities, which lists his ‘A’ category having been obtained ‘by equivalence’.
“My thanks goes to The Connexion. Nothing worthwhile is ever achieved without others helping,” he said. “I just now need to make a formal application to ANTS and then I can join my American friends next year to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the US. I’m very happy about that.”
