There’s nothing quite like a freedom of information request to stir things up.
On this occasion it was a BBC local radio station wondering why, in its area of Hertfordshire, rather a lot of cars were being clamped by the DVLA. I provided some sarcastic comment on the phenomenon.
Well, it isn’t so much an unexplained series of events as the rather obvious consequence of motorists failing to pay their road tax.
As we all know, since October last year it has been all change down at the DVLA. In case you need reminding, road tax no longer stays with the car when it is sold. The seller automatically receives a refund and the buyer needs to tax the vehicle before it is used on the road.
I bought a car last October and seemed to know rather more about the system than the car dealer and even the DVLA. The dealer insisted that I could drive away without a care in the world. When I applied for a refund a few weeks later, the DVLA took rather a long time to deal with it all. I would like to think it’s all rather quicker now.
There really is no excuse for not paying your road tax. There may no longer be a little disc in the corner of your car’s windscreen to prompt you that it’s due, but the DVLA is still posting out its V11 reminder form. If you choose to ignore that, you could get clamped.
I’ve noticed that some of the more sensationalist elements of Her Majesty’s press have suggested there are huge conspiracies at work. Certainly the stats suggest that the DVLA is a little busier in certain areas, with a 500% rise in the clamping of untaxed cars reported in some places.
Overall, from January to May this year, 74,590 vehicles were clamped for unpaid road tax, up from 49,466 in the same period the previous year - a rise of 51%. It costs a driver up to £800 in fines and related fees to get their car back. Areas experiencing the biggest rises in clamping include Hereford, Plymouth and Motherwell.
However, I did my duty and ploughed through the spreadsheets. What I noticed is that the largest numbers of forgetful motorists live in the postcodes of major cities such as Coventry and Birmingham. But even before the new rules came in, that’s where the evaders lived. Always have. And it’s easier to go clamping mad in built-up areas than it is out in the countryside.
I would like to know whether you find the process of taxing your car any more complicated than before and just how irritating it is that the unused tax can’t be passed on. Please email me at james@bangernomics.com.
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its not "Tax"
keep up James!
direct debit
I initially ignored the letter having dug through my emails to find the original DVLA confirmation that the direct debit was in place.
Another similar more forceful letter arrived a few weeks later, and I used the online checker, and found that my car was untaxed according to the system.
I rang the DVLA who told me my direct debit had been cancelled 6 weeks ago. I asked why and who by and they couldn't answer. I rang my bank, who said they had not cancelled it or declined any payments. I then rang the DVLA back who said it hadn't been refused for non-payment buy couldn't tell me why it had been cancelled, and claimed no responsibility for this.
I paid the back tax over the phone but they couldn't set up a new DD over the phone, so had to go back online and do it again.
The DVLA also confirmed that no warning (email or paper) is sent out when a DD is cancelled, hence I had no notification of it happening.
Thankfully my letters were only warnings, so I did not get prosecuted, but this effectively means anyone with a DD payment could have it cancelled without their notice, with no notification of it happening, have their car clamped or be prosecuted and the DVLA will take no blame, leaving the bill for the customer.
I don't fancy having to go online every day to just see if my car is still taxed, but I have no proof that the DVLA didn't cancel they payments an hour ago and I'm driving home illegally. Still a lot of bugs to sort out in the system I think...
Thanks that's a useful warning Orangewheels
Another point I would like to make is the fines and clamping fees are a multi million pound industry that must be one of the UK's rare growth sectors that is getting out of control. I was reading only this week a report on the BBC website about UKPC who have manipulated photo's to make it look like motorists have spent longer than two hours at restricted car parks so that they can impose fines. It's a scandal how the motorist is being treated as a cash cow by this government and private firms in my opinion.
Australia in the 70s had it right
In the 70s, Vehicle owners received their annual vehicle tax renewals by post in the form of a 'windscreen transfer'.
All the vehicle owner had to do was to take this to the nearest Post office, pay the required tax & then his 'windscreen transfer' was stamped paid.
Reminder & the following year's tax "disc" issued together and payment simplified to a 5-10 minute trip to nearest post office.
What's a post office?
A post office is....
You can check on line if any car is taxed or tested
My neighbour was very embarassed to find his DB9 clamped because he "forgot!"