Press release no:2 - Government to target road tax dodgers in London and Surrey

To further the Government’s attack on road tax dodgers, the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) are running a telephone Hotline publicity campaign in London and Surrey. Motorists who do not license their vehicles will be targeted in this latest campaign to recover the millions of pounds lost each year in Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) evasion.

Members of the public can report unlicensed vehicles to DVLA on freephone 08000 325 202.

To support the campaign DVLA will be bringing in additional Inquiry Officers to deal with the calls from the telephone hotline. Extra wheelclamping units and DVLA Stingray mobile camera units will operate throughout Surrey. The 33 London Boroughs all have DVLA powers to wheelclamp unlicensed vehicles.

Extensive publicity from 18 January is designed to:

• encourage all motorists to check that their vehicles are properly licensed and, if not, to relicense them immediately.
• warn evaders that DVLA wheelclamping and Stingray mobile camera units will be operating throughout London and Surrey. The Police will also be undertaking roadside checks to detect unlicensed vehicles and motorists committing other road safety offences.
• inform members of the public that they can now telephone DVLA’s freephone VED enforcement hotline to report unlicensed vehicles.

Commenting on the scheme, David Jamieson, Transport Minister said:

“Honest motorists are fed up with the small hard core who continually try to evade paying their road tax. We are determined to target this irresponsible group and are inviting the public’s help in doing so. Members of the public can phone the hotline to report unlicensed vehicles. All information will be held in the strictest confidence. Tax dodgers do not usually have up to date insurance or MOT certificates and are often involved in some other forms of criminality.

Law abiding motorists have nothing to fear from the wheelclampers, Stingray cameras or the hotline. They will be used to target only those who evade paying their road tax.”

To support this latest initiative, the police will be on the look out to ensure that vehicles are displaying current licence discs. They will also be on the look out for motorists committing other road safety offences, i.e. no MOT certificate, no insurance etc.

Notes to editors:

1. The results of the latest Roadside Survey carried out in June 2004 revealed that VED evasion has dropped from 4.8% in 2002 to 3.4% representing a saving of £77m per annum. There are now nearly 700,000 fewer untaxed vehicles on our roads than two years ago, leading to improved road safety for all road users.

2. The introduction of DVLA’s Continuous Registration scheme in January 2004 along with enforcement activity by the police, local councils, and DVLA wheelclamping has played a major part in reducing car tax evasion.

3. The law change on Continuous Registration was introduced to reduce the number of untaxed and abandoned vehicles, tackle vehicle crime, and ensure that every vehicle has a traceable keeper. Registered keepers of vehicles are legally responsible at all times for licensing their vehicles. This responsibility will remain until the registered keeper notifies DVLA that their vehicle has been sold, scrapped, stolen or exported, or unless a current Statutory Off Road Notification (SORN) has been declared. Registered keepers will face an automatic £80 penalty if they fail to relicense their vehicle on time. This penalty will be reduced to £40 if paid within 28 days. If the vehicle remains unlicensed, then following the provisions of the 2002 Finance Act determined offenders could face a minimum fine of £1,000 or up to ten times the annual rate of duty. Offenders will be penalised automatically from the record when their tax disc expires or SORN lapses.

4. The enforcement action of the police and DVLA against road tax dodgers also makes a significant contribution to road safety. About a third of motorists reported for evasion of VED are committing other offences – including no MOT certificate, no insurance and defective tyres. During 2003/04, 978,000 cases of VED evasion were successfully completed resulting in the recovery of around £88 million.

5. Not having a current licence disc is illegal and could be expensive. Offenders face a fine of up to £1,000 or five times the annual rate of duty whichever is greater. In addition to paying a fine, convicted offenders will have to pay backduty penalties from the date the vehicle was last licensed.

6. The VED enforcement hotline is a national freephone number, 08000 325 202, which members of the public can ring to report unlicensed vehicles. Callers are asked to provide the registration number and make of vehicle, its location, time the vehicle is likely to be at the location and if possible, the name of the keeper. All information will be held in the strictest confidence.

7. VED campaigns held in partnership with police forces are aimed at reducing evasion rates. The results of other recent campaigns are as follows:

During the last Greater London campaign in May 2003, 11,998 motorists voluntarily relicensed their vehicles bringing in £1.3m in additional revenue.