Error parsing XSLT file: \xslt\FacebookOpenGraph.xslt Paul Barker's blog: 27 July 2012 - The tax disc's time is up
Cookies on Businesscar

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue without changing your settings, we will assume that you are happy to receive all cookies on the Business Car website. However, if you would like to, you can change your cookies at any time

BusinessCar magazine website email Awards mobile

The start point for the best source of fleet information

Paul Barker's blog: 27 July 2012 - The tax disc's time is up

Date: 27 July 2012

Paul Barker is editor of BusinessCar

The BVRLA makes the most valid of points when chief executive John Lewis questions the need for vehicles to display a tax disc.

In the old days, before the likes of Automatic Number Plate Recognition technology, a little disc in the window was the only way to check whether a car was taxed for the year.

But now ANPR will flag-up an issue, be it tax or insurance, quicker than the police can read the expiry date of a tax disc, were there any police left on the beat.

And fleets are the perfect place to start as it's where users will be appreciative enough of the benefits - in terms of both financial and time gains - to be willing to submit to a pilot scheme and the potential problems that would need ironing out.

Certainly issues are on the horizon if plans to post tax discs for new vehicles out to the first registered keeper come to fruition.

Fleets and rental companies might spend weeks trying to mate vehicle and disc as they chase it from one site to another across the country.

And then there are the plans to potentially help drivers out by letting them pay their road tax monthly by direct debit.

That's a great idea in principle, but is at odds with the basic idea of displaying a tax disc, as it would have to be issued at the beginning of the year, without the safety net of people cancelling their direct debit as soon as they receive the disc.

The tax disc is a badly outdated concept that has been overtaken by events, and hopefully the right noises are coming out of Government to bring about a pleasingly positive change for fleet administrators.

Follow BusinessCar on TWITTER.



Share


Subscribe