Motorcyclist of more than 60 years wrongly banned from riding bikes

Paul Olsen mentioned the DVLA ‘dropped the ball’ over his licence (Image: Paul Olsen)

A grandfather and eager biker was wrongly denied a licence to journey his motorbike for greater than three years.

Paul Olsen, a graphic designer who has spent many years working within the movie business, has been driving motorbikes for six many years.

Over the previous half a century he has owned Triumph Bonnevilles, Yamahas, Tritons, and Kawasaki bikes.

Nevertheless, when he tried to have a brand new motorbike insured in 2018 he was knowledgeable he didn’t have the proper kind of licence.

Paul, who labored on the unique Star Trek: The Movement Image and in addition created the movie titles for The Abyss, Terminator 2, and Die Laborious, mentioned, ‘I had the shock of my life once they mentioned I didn’t have the proper biking entitlement on my licence.

‘I bought a British driving licence and bike licence after I moved right here from San Francisco in 1969.

‘Within the early 1970’s, I used to be reissued a lifetime licence. However someplace alongside the way in which, the DVLA should have dropped the ball.

Paul Olsen was denied his motorbike license as a consequence of a DVLA mistake (Image: Paul Olsen)

‘This was at first grew to become digitised, so I didn’t know that my entitlement was now not on the licence.’

After complaining unsuccessfully to the DVLA, Paul took the problem to the Unbiased Complaints Assessor (ICA), who mentioned the result of his case was ‘perverse and unfair’.

However they couldn’t advocate the DVLA give him a brand new entitlement as a result of that they had adopted process.

Following their ruling, Paul, who lives in Surrey, then took his case to the Parliamentary and Well being Service Ombudsman (PHSO). 

After taking his case to the ICA, they overturned his ban and awarded him compensation (Image: Paul Olsen)

The organisation directed the DVLA to apologise, refund the £70 it had price Paul to cancel his insurance coverage, and provides him £1,000 in compensation.

It additionally requested the DVLA to make use of their discretion to reinstate his entitlement to drive a bike.

The DVLA has complied with all of those actions.

A spokesperson from the DVLA mentioned: ‘We've got a spread of measures in place to make sure our information are correct, and errors are uncommon. We've got accepted PHSO’s findings on this distinctive and sophisticated case.’

Paul presently owns three traditional bikes: a Kawasaki W650 named Izzy, a Triumph Bonneville named Lizzy, a Triumph Dash named Roxy, and a Vespa scooter named Doodles.

Paul was awarded £1,000 in compensation and had his license reinstated by the DVLA following a ruling from the Ombudsman (Image: Paul Olsen)

‘The PHSO and ICA have been terrific,’ he mentioned. ‘My caseworker on the PHSO was terrific, and an actual old-school gentleman who was a quietly persistent terrier.

‘I’m delighted on the end result as a result of I used to be so fed up with the DVLA being unreasonable.

‘Using bikes is the mechanical equal of driving a horse; you’re on the market by yourself in nature. It’s simply you and your mechanical steed – and like Billy Joel, she’s at all times a girl. I really like my lovely women.

‘I dwell in a good looking a part of the world and exit for 2 or three hours simply driving. It’s simplicity itself, a really private expertise.’

Ombudsman Rob Behrens mentioned, ‘It was clear to each us and the ICA that a mistake had been made. When that occurs, organisations ought to acknowledge what has gone flawed and take steps to place that proper.

‘Sadly, the DVLA didn't try this and have been rigid in dealing with Mr Olsen’s grievance.

‘I’m delighted we have been in a position to resolve Mr Olsen’s case and have his bike entitlements reinstated so he can take pleasure in his ardour for biking.’

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