Since Spain joined the European Union in 1986, some things have changed on the island. Socioeconomic, labor, academic, and political integration has strengthened, and this has also affected driver's licenses. The free movement of people and goods within the EU requires standardized regulations, as all citizens must possess the same, or similar, documents.
Over the years, the old-fashioned pink cardboard driver's license gave way to a card-based one. The data was recorded more accurately on the card, making it more difficult to forge. However, in Spain, driver's licenses were very specific to the type of vehicle being driven. One of the existing licenses was the BTP , which authorized drivers of taxis, ambulances, other emergency vehicles, and school buses.
What was the BTP permit?
According to Royal Decree 818/2009, of May 8, which approves the General Regulations for Drivers, the BTP license enabled the holder to " drive priority vehicles when they are on urgent service, vehicles that carry out school transport when they transport schoolchildren and vehicles intended for the transport of passengers in such service, all of them with a maximum authorized mass not exceeding 3.500 kg and their number of seats, including the driver, not exceeding nine."
Before it disappeared, how was the BTP card obtained?
Before the BTP license was discontinued, applicants had to meet two requirements, which were inclusive but not exclusive. The first was to be over 18 years old, and the second was to have more than one year of experience with a Category B license . Depending on whether they met one or both requirements, the exam for obtaining the license would have a different focus. If they only met the age requirement (18 years old) and had no experience with a Category B license, the BTP exam consisted of both a theoretical and a practical section.
If, on the other hand, you were over 18 and had more than a year of experience with a B license, the exam to obtain the BTP license was limited to a theoretical knowledge test. Furthermore, there were two ways to obtain the BTP license . The first, and most logical, was to attend a driving school, and the second, and riskier (though no less effective), was to prepare independently.
Training to obtain a BTP license through a driving school had advantages and disadvantages. The advantages were receiving the necessary classes and materials to obtain the license. The disadvantage was paying for those classes, fees, and other training supplements. On the other hand, it was possible to obtain the license independently , but the student had to find the study materials or textbook, although thanks to the internet, this was very easy. Choosing this option made the license cheaper because it saved on classes, fees, and other payments, but it meant that the applicant had to handle all the administrative procedures.
Once the candidate had prepared the syllabus and studied the necessary concepts to take the exam, they had to take the next step . If they had chosen to train at a driving school, the school would register them for the exam; if they had opted for independent study, they had to do so at the Traffic Department in their city. In either case, the theory exam consisted of 20 multiple-choice questions where a maximum of two errors were allowed. It was very easy (provided they had studied, of course), and if they passed, they would proceed to the practical test, if necessary.
What has happened so that the BTP permission has disappeared?
Integration into the European Union , which I mentioned at the beginning of this post, is what has forced the Spanish Directorate General of Traffic (DGT) to eliminate this driving license. None of the 27 countries in the common area (excluding the United Kingdom), with the exception of Spain, included a license for taxis, emergency vehicles, or school transport in their list of valid driving licenses. Therefore, after the Single European Driving Licence came into effect , Spain was urged to eliminate it.
According to the Spanish Directorate General of Traffic (DGT), "the reason for its elimination is that the types of vehicles authorized by the BTP category can be driven with other categories already included in the Single Community Driving License , once the regulatory amendment comes into effect ." To achieve this, the Spanish government will have to amend the General Regulations for Drivers.
The elimination of the BPT driving license will be implemented through a Royal Decree that includes the abolition of this license in Spain. Furthermore, it must incorporate Directive 2014/85/EU on driving licenses (a legally binding text for member states of the European Union) into our legal system. The deadline set by the European Union for Spain to make these changes was December 31, 2015.
However, the BTP license has been removed from our national catalog of driving licenses since January 1, 2016. For now, this license only exists in Spain and is valid exclusively within the national territory until those drivers who still hold it need to renew it. Now, anyone interested in obtaining it will not have to take any additional tests or exams, as obtaining a Category B license automatically includes the now-defunct BTP license.
And now what will happen to those of us who have the BTP permit in our possession?
Having a driver's license means that when its expiration date approaches, we have to renew it if we don't want to lose the ability to drive. However, with the disappearance of the BTP license, things will change, since when this license is discontinued, it will also be removed from our pink plastic card where the licenses we hold are recorded.
According to the Directorate General of Traffic , " holders of the BTP license may continue to drive the vehicles for which the BTP was previously required , regardless of whether they must comply with the requirements that may be established by the corresponding sectoral regulations for the performance of these services (taxis, ambulances, police cars, etc.), provided that they maintain a valid driving license category required for the vehicle in question" [...] "likewise, these holders will continue with the same driving license , which includes the BTP category, until their category B license expires. When they renew it, the new document will no longer include the BTP designation . "
Before the standardization of driving licenses across Europe, the BTP (Professional Driving License) was one of the most sought-after licenses in Spanish driving schools for years . The reason was simple: without this license, certain types of vehicles could not be driven. Taxis, ambulances, certain emergency vehicles, and school buses could not be operated without this license. The BTP was the key to obtaining decent employment, as it didn't require extensive knowledge to operate the vehicle.
With this clarification, drivers with this license are now covered both in Spain and in the rest of the European Union. We won't have to worry about renewing it , saving on medical exams and fees, as it will be automatically renewed when we update our standard B license. Therefore, it's good that EU bodies are ensuring that all European citizens have the same rights. However, driving schools probably aren't too happy about it, as they'll lose a portion of their income. C'est la vie.
Source – Directorate General of Traffic (DGT)