With no tax disc it’s easy for drivers to forget to pay vehicle excise duty

SIR – I fear that I may be part of those statistics for non-payment of vehicle excise duty (report, November 17).

My car is exempt from road tax because of low emissions, but I still have to complete the forms each year to state that it is still on the road.

This year, for various reasons, including a sudden emergency just at the time it was due, I gave my car tax no thought. There is no disc to remind me and I received no reminder from the DVLA. I went off to visit relatives in Australia blissfully unaware.

On my return I found numerous letters berating me and imposing a fine for non-payment of nothing. The fine had risen from £40 to £80. I immediately registered online, but balked at paying such a fine in the circumstances. I was told that receiving no reminder was no excuse; it was my responsibility. I could appeal. I did, but in the meantime was referred to a debt collection agency.

I lost my case and have paid the £80, but I wonder how many more people are inadvertently part of those tax evasion statistics. My husband pays his road tax monthly, so there is not a problem , but you can’t pay “nothing” monthly.

I feel I was trapped and let down by the system. The DVLA acknowledges no responsibility for reminding us. Veronica Tucker

Leicester

SIR – A further aspect of vehicle tax evasion should be considered. The payment process includes a check that the vehicle is insured and has an MOT certificate, where applicable.

It is probable that many of those evading car tax are also not insuring their cars, adding to the scale of the problem of uninsured motorists.

This piles costs on to motorists unfortunate enough to be involved in accidents which are the fault of uninsured drivers, and incidentally loses the Government even more revenue in the form of unpaid insurance premium tax. Ken Himsworth

Saxilby, Lincolnshire SIR – It is time this iniquitous tax was abolished and replaced by additional taxation on petrol and diesel.

Doing so would, first and foremost, ensure that no one could dodge paying. It would be fairer, in that the more fuel one buys (either for driving further on the roads or through driving a less efficient vehicle), the more one pays.

It would also create additional revenue from all foreign vehicles, which currently pay nothing for using our roads.

At the same time, I would welcome the introduction of a French-style system whereby all vehicles display on their windscreens an insurance disc (provided by the insurance companies with one’s policy) as well as a small MOT badge showing the expiry date.

These instantly visible items make recognising and reporting offenders an easy task. David Barnett

Griston, Norfolk