New research reveals motorists don’t know when the tax disc reforms will come into effect and what the full extent of the changes are.
More than a third of motorists are still oblivious of the looming car tax changes that will see the paper disc scrapped in favour of online records, suggests new research from the RAC.
Almost half (47 per cent) did not know when the change comes into force, even though it starts October 1st, which is now less than two weeks away.
Once the amendment comes into effect, it will no longer be necessary to display a paper tax disc on a vehicle’s windscreen, as once a motorists pays the charge the record of the transaction will be logged on the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency’s (DVLA) system.
Automatic number plate recognition cameras have been installed, meaning anyone who hasn’t paid their car tax will be caught out.
Of the 2,000 motorists surveyed by the RAC, 63 per cent worried that scrapping the paper tax disc would lead to a rise in the number of untaxed vehicles on the road, with 44 per cent believing the move would actually encourage people to evade payment.
According to the Department for Transport, car tax evasion only affected 0.6 per cent of traffic in the UK, meaning 210,000 vehicles on Britain’s roads are driving illegally, leading to £35 million in lost revenue.
The RAC suggests the fear about unlicensed cars is most likely fuelled by the fact that there are around million uninsured drivers on the road – something that can not be checked by simply looking at a car, which will be the case when paper tax discs are removed.
Motorists are also unaware of the other changes that will come into force regarding car tax, according to the survey. From October 1st, it will no longer be possible for the remaining tax to be transferred to a new owner when the vehicle is sold. Instead, the new owner will need to purchase their own, while the previous possessor will receive a partial refund.
David Bizley, RAC chief engineer, commented: “For the vast majority of law-abiding motorists the new rules will make very little difference, and in fact the option to pay by monthly Direct Debit from November will make it easier for many to budget for the payments.
“Most of the changes make sense and will benefit the motorist, but too many motorists are unaware of the detail and the big question has to be whether enforcement using only cameras and automatic number plate recognition will be sufficiently effective.”
Posted by Emma George