Devolved powers for VED enforcement

[Tom _M]

Saw this crop up:

https://www.dudley.gov.uk/news/dudley-council-take...

Essentially the Council have taken on the powers from the DVLA to clamp/fine vehicles with no paid up VED or incorrect SORN. Is this a new thing? Not heard of it elsewhere, but seemingly camera cars go around and pick up plates automatically. I get that in these times a bit of extra cash going to Councils is needed, on the other it sits a little uneasy with me. It’s not a safety issue or something that potentially affects others like MOT’s or insurance, it’s just revenue collection, so why does the Council need to get involved? Those systems and databases aren’t perfect either, so what about mistakes and the like? The costs seem rather on the steep side to me too:

[mcflurry]

Good.

Round our way there is a crashed car with no MOT or tax.
The PCSO knows but can't do anything.
The council say to contact DVLA
The DVLA say to contact the council..

[Countdown]

Does it really matter which part of the Guv'mint collects the tax?

I'm pretty sure the Council collects lots of tax on behalf of others

[Riley Blue]

Councils enforce on-street parking, what's the difference?

[944 Man]

I'm not sure what concerns me more: the outrageous gouging that Dudley MBC are doubtless wringing their hands in anticipation over, or the eagerness of foolish members here to embrace it for beyond-lame reasons.

Exaggerated examples like 'crashed car near to my house' are always to justify financially motivated power-grabs like this, but most cases will be very different.

[Countdown]

944 Man said:

I'm not sure what concerns me more: the outrageous gouging that Dudley MBC are doubtless wringing their hands in anticipation over, or the eagerness of foolish members here to embrace it for beyond-lame reasons.

Exaggerated examples like 'crashed car near to my house' are always to justify financially motivated power-grabs like this, but most cases will be very different.

I’m not sure I understand. Do you think most of the people being caught by the Council will be innocent individuals? Why would the local Council be any more likely to make mistakes than DVLA themselves?

[944 Man]

I suspect that there will be a range, from the justified examples to people who find themselves clamped and extorted due to poorly communicated DVLA mistakes.

The latter could happen to any of us.

[Tom _M]

Riley Blue said:

Councils enforce on-street parking, what's the difference?

Well, I guess with things like parking, litter, noise pollution, they all have a material effect on local residents’ lives, and they use financial penalties to discourage rule breaking. Someone not paying their VED has no effect on residents, and the Council has not lost out on any revenue.

I fully appreciate non-payment needs enforcing, and that the Council doing it rather than DVLA will no doubt catch more as they have a direct financial incentive to do so. It just feels a bit grabby and out of remit to me.

[Tom _M]

944 Man said:

I suspect that there will be a range, from the justified examples to people who find themselves clamped and extorted due to poorly communicated DVLA mistakes.

The latter could happen to any of us.

Exactly. This is no doubt going to be tendered out to a private company on behalf on the Council who themselves want to find as many as possible as are financially motivated. If computer says so, then it’s clamp on time. This sort of thing disproportionally affects poorer residents as they might not have the £100 to get it released. Leave it just 2 days and they’re owing £400. All whilst without the car meaning it could make getting to work etc. more difficult and more cost if have to use other means.