Harmless

In March 2004 DVLA launched its new enforcement Hotline TV commercial during a vehicle excise duty (VED) Campaign in the Yorkshires. DVLA is aware that members of the public feel strongly about the unfairness of those who currently dodge their car tax, and recognise that many want to use its latest enforcement weapon – THE CAR TAX ENFORCEMENT TELEPHONE HOTLINE.

The aim of the hotline advertisement called ‘Harmless’ is to encourage members of the public who wish to report car tax dodgers to call the freephone hotline number. Callers are asked to provide the vehicle registration number, make and model of the vehicle and where and when it may be seen parked on the public road and if possible who the keeper is.

Information received is held in the strictest of confidence and anonymity will be respected at all times. The hotline along with wheelclamping and DVLA camera vans forms an important part of the drive to reduce evasion and vehicle related crime. The emphasis of this new advertisement forms an important part of the drive for road safety and questions how safe is an untaxed car. The hotline is currently available in Greater London, Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Kent, Lancashire, Merseyside, Cheshire, Durham, Cleveland, Northumbria, Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire and the Yorkshires. The roll out to the rest of the country will continue in line with the 2004 programme of VED Campaigns.

Article by Lynne Hopkins, taken from DVL Today - Issue 26 - Reproduced under Crown Copyright