DEPARTMENT FOR
TRANSPORT News Release (026) issued by The Government News Network
on 14 February 2008
Figures out today
on road tax evasion show that the Driver and Vehicle Licensing
Agency (DVLA) collected an estimated 98.5% of all potential
revenue from road tax in 2007.
This year the survey was based on the use of Automatic Number
Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras, providing a more accurate
picture of Vehicle Excise Duty evasion.
Transport Minister Jim Fitzpatrick said:
"Using ANPR technology gives us a much clearer picture of
the level of road tax evasion. I am pleased to see that this
survey indicates a low level of evasion - the DVLA is working hard
to tackle road tax evasion.
"However, there is no room for complacency and we will be
increasing the pressure on those who fail to properly license
their vehicles. There is no way out for road tax evaders."
Previously road tax evasion figures were mainly collected
manually but the figures are now primarily compiled using
Automatic Number Plate Recognition technology, giving a more
precise reading of evasion levels.
The DVLA has put in place a package of measures which means that
road tax is now easier to pay, but harder to avoid. This includes:
- making it more convenient for people to pay their road tax -
millions of vehicle keepers are now enjoying the convenience of
re-licensing their vehicles direct with DVLA, online or over the
telephone.
- doubling the number of untaxed vehicles subject
to wheel clamping and impounding, taking direct action to clamp
100,000 vehicles a year.
- putting in place a fleet of
vehicles using state of the art ANPR equipment to detect and
support enforcement action against users of unlicensed vehicles
from a total of more than 10 million vehicle sightings per
year.
- increasing the number of local authorities and police
partners who use DVLA powers to operate their own local wheel
clamping schemes, adding a further 36,000 unlicensed vehicles per
year to the total seized.
- generating more than one million
late-licensing penalties from DVLA records per year.
-
trialling and awarding contracts to use debt collection agencies
to pursue 40,000 people per month who have failed to pay the
penalty for failing to tax their vehicles on time.
Notes to Editors
1. Because this new method was used to calculate the 2007
estimates, it is not possible to compare them to earlier figures.
2. Electronic Vehicle Licensing (EVL). DVLA currently carries out
over 1 million EVL transactions per month.
3. Continuous Registration. DVLA currently issues an average of
100,000 Late Licensing Penalties (LLP) letters every month. The
projected total volume for 2007/08 is 1.2 million LLPs.
4. DVLA has a fleet of ANPR cars capable of capturing data on all
vehicle types across multiple lanes of traffic. DVLA ANPR units
will read over 10 million vehicle movements this year and the
Agency will issue penalties against the keepers of every
unlicensed vehicle seen in use from that total.
5. Copies of Vehicle Excise Duty Evasion 2007 are available from
the Department's website at: http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/statistics/datatablespublications/vehicles/excisedutyevasion/
Public Enquiries: 020 7944 8300
Department for Transport
Website: http://www.dft.gov.uk