Police force to hire officers with automatic-only driving licences in rare move

A police force has opened a new job application to holders of automatic-only driving licences in a rare move against manual drivers.

Thames Valley Police has announced that it will be widening the eligibility criteria for police officers based on the type of licence they hold.

The force will accept applications from candidates who hold a full UK automatic-only driving licence by the time of a formal offer.

Prior to these licence changes, applicants were required to hold a manual licence, although TVP has announced fresh criteria.

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It said this change was being made since over 80 per cent of response vehicles in its fleet were automatic.

Thames Valley Police noted that the proportion of vehicles will continue to grow over the coming years as it replaces older vehicles.

The force also cited the upcoming ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles from 2030, which will see millions of electric vehicles hit the road from this point.

Between 2030 and 2035, only electric vehicles and hybrids will be on sale, before only zero emission vehicles are sold from 2035 onwards.

Superintendent Car McKay, head of workforce planning at Thames Valley Police, described the move as a "sensible and proactive approach" to its hiring criteria.

She added: "The vast majority of our existing frontline vehicles are already automatic, and the UK car industry continues to move away from manual gearboxes as technology advances.

"By adjusting our entry criteria, we're extending opportunities to more talented people who want to serve our communities across the Thames Valley."

Recent data from the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) shows that 470,000 of the 1.8 million driving tests taken in 2024 were in automatic vehicles.

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In comparison, only around six per cent of all tests in 2012/13 were taken in automatic vehicles, before soaring to around 25 per cent last year.

Across England, Scotland and Wales, an increasing number of drivers are taking automatic driving tests, rather than manual.

The AA suggested that learning to drive a manual car was "irrelevant to many", especially as younger people prepare to drive automatic electric cars as they grow up.

Effective immediately, Thames Valley Police will accept applications from candidates with either full UK automatic licences or full UK manual licences for Police Constable and Detective Constable entry routes.

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