Portugal driving licence regulation reforms

In early July, Portugal's Socialist Party called for a parliamentary review of a decree that expanded the role of driving tutors, signalling political scrutiny of the proposed changes. By early August, the Portuguese government had approved a revised driver‑training framework that formalised the expanded tutor role, setting eligibility criteria such as a ten‑year holding of a category B licence, a clean recent traffic record and completion of a road‑safety module. The new rules allow practical lessons with either a qualified tutor or a certified instructor while retaining a mandatory final exam. The same period also saw the United Kingdom tighten its licence penalties, introducing a single mobile‑phone offence that can trigger revocation of a newly issued licence if six points are accrued within two years.

These developments illustrate a coordinated push in both countries to tighten driver‑licence standards, with Portugal moving from political debate to legislative enactment of stricter tutor requirements.