Collection AR147 - Driving Licence of Florence Mable Bridges

Florence Mable Bridges was the wife of Fredric Henry Bridges of 8 Sefton Road, Croydon

The Roads Act of 1920 placed the county, county boroughs and the large burgh councils as the registration and licensing authorities for both vehicles and drivers within the area. This followed on from the Motor Car Act of 1903 ,which had first created the system of registration and licensing of motor cars and motorcycles together with the annual issuing of Driving Licenses by local authorities. Croydon County Borough continued as a licensing authrity until 1965 when responsibility was passed to the newly formed Greater London Council.

Growth in vehicle ownership, the transferring of the vehicles between owners and the increase in both the number of Licenses being applied for and the ease in which disqualified drivers were making false claims to other areas, prompted the need for change. The Vehicle and Driving Licenses Act of 1969 created a new centralised record system for registration and licensing drivers and vehicles and the Driving and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) was subsequently formed.

Many local authority records of vehicle and drivers have been lost or destroyed. It is presumed that those of Croydon County Borough were destroyed following transfer to the GLC.