Should drivers with auto licences be allowed to drive manual cars?

Cars with manual gearboxes are quickly disappearing from Britain’s showrooms, and rules are struggling to keep up with the shift. A market review found fewer than one in four new models now offer a gear stick, down from two in three a decade ago, while the move to EVs—nearly all with automatic transmissions—has led experts to predict manuals could vanish from dealerships by 2030. The change is mirrored in driving tests: 29.5% of practical tests last year were taken in automatics, up from 8.2% in 2016–17. AA Cars says many young drivers can only afford used manuals and wants auto-only licence holders to complete a short conversion course to drive manuals legally.