Is It The End Of The Road For The Tax Disc?

[Raistlin]

The car tax disc which has adorned windscreens for more than 90 years could be due for the axe.

Ministers say scrapping the paper discs would cut costs and streamline services to motorists.

They are currently displayed on around 36million vehicles as proof that road tax has been paid.

However, the discs could become the latest victim of the digital revolution.

Officials say that because police can tell instantly from access to the DVLA computer whether a car has been taxed or not, there is no longer a need for proof on the windscreen.

Even tax disc reminders may soon come as emails or texts rather than paperwork through the post.

The paper element of the driving licence – which accompanies the credit card size photo-card – is also due for the chop by 2015.

Motoring groups said scrapping the tax disc would mark ‘the end of a motoring era’ and would divide opinion among the UK’s 44million drivers, as well as the police.

The plan is set out in the small print of a Government consultation paper published yesterday by the Department for Transport.

It is looking into reforming the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, the Driving Standards Agency, the Vehicle Certification Agency and the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency.

The report from Roads Minister Stephen Hammond says: ‘We will remove the need for unnecessary paper, including abolishing the driving licence counterpart and consider the continuing need for the tax disc.’

The paper element of the driving licence - which accompanies the photo card - is also due to be axed

It marks a potential U-turn by the Government which only recently – on its own ‘Better Regulation’ website which seeks cost-cutting ideas from voters – rejected the idea of scrapping the disc. It concluded: ‘The police strongly support the Department’s view that display of a tax disc should remain a legal requirement.’

But now, with money tight, abolition is back on the agenda.

AA president Edmund King said ‘traditionalists will mourn the tax disc’s passing’ but he added: ‘Motoring and vehicle information is increasingly going online.

‘The police use number-plate reading camera technology to check car details on their own or on the DVLA’s database.’

[acetip]

Thats progress for you. Could not understsnd the need for the paper part of the driving licence.Anything on it could be recorded on the photo card.

[Cyker]

Yeah, esp. as aside from using it as proof of identity, you ALWAYS need both parts anyway! Pointless...

Not so keen on the tax disc change tho' - How can you prove you've taxed your car when their computer inevitably messes up?

It's like my friend who does everything on-line - He doesn't get any paper bills but many places still require proof of address and only accept certain bills, which he obviously can no longer provide!

Paper is still the only reliable proof we have!

[Bos]

What happens if you only have a paper licence?

I have never had a photo card licence.

[Jamesbelfast]

I have often argued that road vehicle tax be done away with completely - just add it to the price of fuel. Just think one big government department closed in one fell swoop - would save billions. The fuel companies already make tax and duty returns to the HMRC so there would be no extra cost to them either. It would also be fairer to the motorist - the more they drive the more they pay and vice versa. Where I live in Northern Ireland we have two discs - one for road tax and one for MOT - none of which are necessary considering there are adequate databases for checks. Some EU countries have three dsipaly discs - one for road tax, one for MOT and one for insurance.

[Parts-King]

It's not such a simple argument as adding it to fuel. You could close all the local tax offices and make the staff redundant, sell off the properties and save a bundle of money but to add it to fuel disproportionatly affects lower paid workers and families, people who live in the countryside and have no other method to commute to work. Everything would go up as we rely on transport for everything. One thing for sure is that whenever something is dropped, the replacement costs us more. Something has to be done about vehicle taxation, it is a cash cow for the government, but putting it on fuel is not the answer

Another bug bear of mine is the way we were told we must use our cars less, reduce CO2, make greener cars etc. Now we have done that, the goalposts get moved, congestion charges go up, and the CO2 level is lowered to trap even more people. it's all a con....................pass me another Stella :!Removed!:

Kingo

[Cyker]

What happens if you only have a paper licence?

I have never had a photo card licence.

I assume you keep it.

At the moment, if you have a paper licence, you do not have to swap it for a photocard/counterpart (In fact, if you do you have to pay a fee and may lose some of your existing entitlements) so I assume this new one will be similar (i.e. new drivers get one automatically but existing drivers don't have to.)

That said, us with the new-style licenses have to renew them every 10 years (And pay for it!) so maybe we get forced to change to the new new type when we renew...?

re. the road tax, there's no way I'd get away with paying £30 a year if it was moved into the fuel tax; We'd all be paying significantly more! And for what? They've already renamed the road tax to 'vehicle excise duty' to try and weasel out of using it for, y'know, *roads*.

[MikeSh]

The tax disc does actually provide a backup against cloned number plates.

And I'm not convinced the DVLA computer is particularly clever - criminals still seem to be able to register cars that are stolen and renumbered. Look, that VIN is either already on another car or doesn't exist - how hard can that be?

[acetip]

The one advantage of paying for the road tax by putting it on the fuel is that those who dont bother to tax their cars cant get away with it.anymore.

[Cyker]

Well, unless they drive off the forecourt without paying or make their own fuel!

I suppose it might drive a home-brew biodiesel revolution since currently the un-taxed personal allotment is enough for most people to run their car all year...