Road tax clampings triple since axing of paper discs

THE number of motorists being clamped for failing to pay road tax has tripled since the paper windscreen disc was abolished, shock figures have revealed.

Since 2013/14, there has been a 195 per cent rise in clamping for non-payment of vehicle excise duty (VED), the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency has said.

The DVLA did not reveal how many drivers were being clamped each year. But previous figures show that about 60,000 cars a year were clamped before tax discs were abolished in October 2014. Abolished: The old paper discs The 195 per cent rise means that almost 180,000 drivers a year may be being targeted – 500 vehicles every day. The increase was buried in the DVLA’s annual report.

Critics warn that the abolition of the tax disc has led to drivers forgetting that they need to pay tax as the date is no longer on the windscreen of their vehicle. Those who receive a car as a gift from a family member may also be unaware about the tax. Enforcement of the new regime has increased revenue for the Government – VED raises £6billion a year. Drivers have to pay a £100 release fee for clamped vehicles or £200 if they are taken to a pound plus a charge for each day held. There has also been a 285 per cent increase in out-of-court settlements over road tax, a 61 per cent increase in the number of penalties issued and a 250 per cent increase in prosecutions, the annual report revealed. Drivers face fines of up to £1,000 for failing to pay their tax on time. But motoring organisations argue that it has become a moneymaking exercise. Luke Bosdet, a spokesman for the AA, said: ‘It is worrying that the changes that came in with the new car taxing system continue to catch out drivers in their thousands.

‘The DVLA will argue they sent out reminders – but we live in a very mobile society and people change their addresses often.’

The DVLA report said: ‘The latest published figures estimate that 98.2 per cent of all vehicles on the road are taxed correctly. We continue to collect around £6billion in tax every year which clearly shows that the overwhelming majority of motorists understand the law.’ The DVLA believes that the 1.8 per cent evasion rate for the tax is equivalent to about £100million of lost revenue every year.

RAC spokesman Pete Williams said: ‘It has to be preferable to collect the tax in the first place rather than incur the expense of chasing non-payment with measures such as wheel clamping and action through the courts, however we recognise that the threat of being caught and punished is needed as an effective deterrent.’

A DVLA spokesman said: ‘ We write to every registered vehicle keeper in the UK at least once a year to remind them when their tax is due. We will continue to take tough action against those who are determined to break the law. Our clear message is that those who don’t pay will risk losing their car.’

‘An effective deterrent’’