Petition Optional ID cards for UK citizens

British citizens should be given the option to apply for ID cards to travel within the EU, especially if backpacking, as this would eliminate the inconvenience of carrying a bulky passport.

Many EU countries require its visitors/residents to carry a form of valid ID on them all the time (some do not accept driving licences), therefore an ID card would be much more convenient than a bulky pasport.

The issuing of ID cards should be optional, not an obligation like in other EU countries.

Also, the ID cards should be reasonably priced and not have to bear the holder's fingerprints (as the current UK passports do not).

For those worrying that such ID cards would be breaching the public's privacy, virtually all UK citizens/residents already have a form of ID (driving licence or passport), therefore the government already has data for its citizens/residents.