Centenary Update...
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DVLA opened its doors for a star-studded celebration of 100 years of driver and vehicle licensing and registration.
The centenary event at Swansea involved a stakeholder day on 19 June and a community day on 20 June. Guests were impressed
with the exhibits on show and valued the opportunity to see current and future Agency initiatives at first hand.
In the 100 years since local authorities took responsibility for vehicle licensing and registration, the popularity of the
motor car has grown significantly. In 1903, 17,000 vehicles were registered in Britain. Today this figure stands at around
30 million, with 72% of British households now owning at least one car and 71% of British adults holding a valid driving
licence.
The event gave the chance for the Agency to exhibit cars which it had previously used in successful advertising
campaigns. These included Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, James Bond's Aston Martin DB5 and Del Boy's Reliant Robin van.
The Agency also ran a competition for local junior and secondary schools to design a car of the future. Each of the
winning 12 designs was awarded a state of the art computer by the Welsh Assembly Minister for Economic Development and
Transport Andrew Davies, courtesy of the Agency's partners IBM and Fujitsu.
Chief Executive Clive Bennett commented: "We were hoping that the children would demonstrate an understanding of the key motoring issues which are high on the Agency's agenda – reducing crime, improving road safety and protecting the environment. All the shortlisted entries did just that and combined some really creative designs." In addition to the car exhibition, a host of other activities took place, including live crushings of unlicensed or abandoned vehicles. A police crime prevention demonstration helped visitors tackle the problem of car crime. The event proved so popular that DVLA decided to take a version of it on the road. The road show event was held in October at the Metro Shopping Centre, Newcastle; the Lakeside Shopping Centre, London and the Pallasades Shopping Centre, Birmingham. Article by Wynne Keenan, taken from DVL Today - Issue 25 - Reproduced under Crown Copyright
Chief Executive Clive Bennett commented: "We were hoping that the children would demonstrate an understanding of the key motoring issues which are high on the Agency's agenda – reducing crime, improving road safety and protecting the environment. All the shortlisted entries did just that and combined some really creative designs." In addition to the car exhibition, a host of other activities took place, including live crushings of unlicensed or abandoned vehicles. A police crime prevention demonstration helped visitors tackle the problem of car crime. The event proved so popular that DVLA decided to take a version of it on the road. The road show event was held in October at the Metro Shopping Centre, Newcastle; the Lakeside Shopping Centre, London and the Pallasades Shopping Centre, Birmingham. Article by Wynne Keenan, taken from DVL Today - Issue 25 - Reproduced under Crown Copyright
Wed, 21 Jul 2004
