Number of cars clamped doubles
TWICE as many cars are being clamped since road tax went paperless, according to new figures.
Since September 2015, motorists no longer have to display paper discs inside their vehicles.
Although the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) still sends out written reminders, many drivers have said the change has made it easier to forget to pay the annual fee.
And new figures reveal there has been a huge surge in the number of untaxed cars in Greater Manchester.
The AA meanwhile said the figures could be a result of ‘confusion’ about the process of taxing a car when it changes ownership.
AA spokesman Jack Cousens said: “More than two fifths of AA members have left their last tax disc in their vehicles just to serve as a reminder for when the tax is due.
“There is also confusion among the public about the process of taxing the vehicle when it changes ownership.”
More than 3,700 untaxed cars were clamped or impounded in Greater Manchester last year, double the previous year’s figure.
It means an average of about 10 rogue drivers were snared every day in 2016, with motorists forced to pay release fees totalling an estimated £750,000.
The DVLA revealed that 1,480 untaxed vehicles were clamped or impounded in Manchester by the council in 2016, compared to just 859 previously.
To get a vehicle released costs up to £200, not including payment for vehicle tax.
Council bosses said the crackdown was on behalf of the vast majority of ‘responsible motorists.’
Environment chief Coun Rosa Battle said: “Those who flout their legal obligation to pay road tax are dodging their contribution towards the upkeep of the roads we all rely on.
“This is anti-social behaviour and it is important that this selfish minority of individuals are not allowed to put the law-abiding majority at risk.”