VED Hotline
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Things are hotting up around the country for VED evaders. On 22 May 2003, DVLA took a major step in its aim to reduce tax
evasion and vehicle related crime with the launch of the VED Enforcement Telephone Hotline.
In response to public demand a pilot scheme was run in Hertfordshire last year. The pilot proved to be a success
and Ministers asked that a national hotline scheme be introduced. David Jamieson, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State
for Transport launched the hotline in London on 22 May at Earl's Court.
The hotline is a free phone number for the public to ring and report unlicensed vehicles. It is being rolled out around the country in conjunction with the programme of VED campaigns and is so far available in Greater London, Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Kent, Lancashire and Cheshire. It will be rolled out to Durham, Cleveland and Northumbria in November 2003.
It is expected that the whole of England Scotland and Wales will be covered within 18 months. A call centre has been set up in Stockton. When calls are received from the public, the information provided is keyed into a database and sent electronically to teams of hotline Inquiry Officers (IOs). The IOs then follow up the information provided aiming to sight the unlicensed vehicles on the public road. They also co-operate closely with the Agency's wheel-clamping contractors and local authorities to have vehicles clamped or removed. Once "sighted", the keeper is interviewed by the IO who completes an offence report and sends it to the appropriate DVLA local office for action. So far over 27,000 people have called the hotline and enforcement action has already commenced against the keepers of 6,000 vehicles. The hotline is still in its early days but it has already shown the potential to play a key part in the fight against VED evasion. Article by Phil Rott, taken from DVL Today - Issue 25 - Reproduced under Crown Copyright
The hotline is a free phone number for the public to ring and report unlicensed vehicles. It is being rolled out around the country in conjunction with the programme of VED campaigns and is so far available in Greater London, Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Kent, Lancashire and Cheshire. It will be rolled out to Durham, Cleveland and Northumbria in November 2003.
It is expected that the whole of England Scotland and Wales will be covered within 18 months. A call centre has been set up in Stockton. When calls are received from the public, the information provided is keyed into a database and sent electronically to teams of hotline Inquiry Officers (IOs). The IOs then follow up the information provided aiming to sight the unlicensed vehicles on the public road. They also co-operate closely with the Agency's wheel-clamping contractors and local authorities to have vehicles clamped or removed. Once "sighted", the keeper is interviewed by the IO who completes an offence report and sends it to the appropriate DVLA local office for action. So far over 27,000 people have called the hotline and enforcement action has already commenced against the keepers of 6,000 vehicles. The hotline is still in its early days but it has already shown the potential to play a key part in the fight against VED evasion. Article by Phil Rott, taken from DVL Today - Issue 25 - Reproduced under Crown Copyright
Fri, 25 Jun 2004
