THE DVLA has started live trials of its electronic relicensing initiative with Cowie Interleasing prior to a full-scale roll-out early next year. The pilot scheme follows an extensive feasibility study after the fleet industry approached Swansea with proposals for reducing the costly administrative burden they faced each month in manually relicensing thousands of cars.

The DVLA agreed to introduce an electronic process to replace the chore using Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) in consultation with the Association of Car Fleet Operators and the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association. Provided the trials prove successful, large fleet operators will be able to choose whether they want to receive licence reminders electronically or in paper form.

Fleet operators will in turn respond electronically, listing the vehicles they wish to relicense and paying electronically via direct debit. Licences will then be printed at Swansea and issued before the old ones expire.

Initially, only companies operating 1,000-vehicle plus fleets of light goods vehicles and cars under three years old will be eligible for the scheme, but it is anticipated that smaller operators will qualify as the system is developed. The service will be free, but fleet operators must pay for a computer system which is compatible with the DVLA's and to date, 50 major fleets have registered an interest.