POLISH Islanders are having to pay out hundreds of pounds for driving lessons and to take driving tests because their licences cannot be exchanged for Jersey ones.

The problem is severely hindering many people’s employment opportunities, as licences are a must for many jobs.

It is often also difficult for those working long hours, six days a week, to find the time to take lessons and a test.

At present, Polish drivers are required by law to obtain a Jersey licence as soon as they decide to become permanently resident in the Island, or nine months after arriving at the latest.

However, because there is no reciprocal agreement between Jersey and Poland, they have to retake a test before they are eligible for a local licence.

Both the Driver and Vehicle Standards department and the Polish Consul, Rodney Hodges, have written and spoken to the Polish authorities in London and Warsaw, but no agreement has been reached.