Are the DVLA losing the plot?

[Jim 1]

Firstly there were the changes to the road tax system which, initially seemed great - no more tax disk! Tax online! Pay it monthly if you want to! Easier to setup SORN! But then the realities about buying a pre-owned car with no tax, having to try and tax it before you were the new owner, etc not to mention the period of tax the government get for free if you tax / cancel tax any time other than the start or end of the month...

 

And now they wheel this gem out, regarding hiring cars abroad:

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-32481382

 

"Anyone wanting to hire a car abroad will officially need a code to show convictions for offences like speeding.

To obtain it, motorists will have to log on to the DVLA website beforehand.

 

But the code is only valid for 72 hours, so anyone wanting to hire a car more than three days into their trip will need to generate a new code while they are abroad.

 

For those who do not have internet access, a phone number will also be made available."

 

What a hare brained, half arsed idea this is. Honestly.. whoever the hell came up with this wants locking in the stocks and pelting with rotten vegetables for a day.

[Chuggs1 10]

Lol - seems about right though and what I would expect form government offices - a bit like the extortion zone round London - you have to pay within quite a short time of having entered it - think it used to be 48 hours - doesn't give you much of a chance

[g0ldf1ng3r 13]

well said Jim

 

honestly though, what else would you expect from the complete bunch of idiots who supposedly run the country for our benefit

 

i mean, who knows of an MP who had to tax their own car....or even pay for the fuel put into it

 

it just highlights what an absolute state this country is in with its jeremy kyle warped values where everything is dumbed down to the lowest common denominator

[VAG-hag 0]

As with all change that is imposed they really need to communicate this better!! Crazy

[Yandards 0]

DVLA lost the plot a while ago, anyone remember the fake V5 farce?

 

DVLAs response was priceless, yes we should have shredded them and that's our fault but we are not liable..

[Chuggs1 10]

Can't imagine this system lasting very long before they quietly and without admission to the system being wrong... Change it

[Sean_Jaymo 0]

You can check your details already, all you need to remember is your NI number, driving licence number and postcode. Easy to use if you can remember the details.

 

I agree though that the advertisement of the change has been woeful.

[GrahamU 5]

Looks like its for the loss of the paper part of your license but I never take or have been asked for the paper part of my license when I go abroad

[Wullie 1]

What about those people who have never "upgraded" to a photo licence? Will they now be required to fork out for one.

[g0ldf1ng3r 13]

What about those people who have never "upgraded" to a photo licence? Will they now be required to fork out for one.

 

i too wonder that wullie

 

i do know that if you have a modern chipped passport then the DVLA can use that photo rather than sending in a new one

[Wullie 1]

The whole bleeding shebang is mad. Recently I had to renew my photo licence because the photo was ten years out of date. I could have went down the online/passport route and they would have quite happily used the 13 year old photo on that. Just to rub salt in the wound I have to replace the damn thing again in 18 months cos I'll be 70.

[kdub 10]

Well I hire cars abroad about 4-6 months a year. In 14 years of travelling I have never had Europcar, Avis, Hertz or any independent car hire company ask for my counterpart.

 

One thing you can do is get yourself one of these http://www.postoffice.co.uk/international-driving-permit