DVLA van spotted!

[AMG Merc]

Very unusual to see a White DVLA logo-ed van crusing my quiet street today. Had what looked like cameras on all 4 corners of the roof. Whaddya reckon - auto number plate recognition of "criminals" not paying their car tax?

[kevin ritson]

There was an advert on Xfm this morning, so may well be tax checks being carried out in London

[Harrow_exchim]

Spotted around Northolt this lunchtime.
Nick

[supermono]

I wonder how such a device could differentiate between a car parked legally untaxed on a driveway and that on the road?

In a way this annoys me -- the ones monitoring moving traffic are fine, but it's a bit overzealous checking up parked cars. I mean if your tax or insurance has run out and you're just parked up for a few days while you sort if out, you're not exactly public enemy No 1 are you? Sure a lot different from driving untaxed/uninsured.

SM

[Zumbruk]

supermono said:

I wonder how such a device could differentiate between a car parked legally untaxed on a driveway and that on the road?

Since the SORN regs came in, there's no such thing as a "car parked legally untaxed on a driveway". Either it's taxed, SORN'd or illegal.

Another case of the Government passing laws which punish the innocent and don't affect the guilty in the slightest.

[supermono]

Understood. I meant cars declared off road that are actually off road but picked out by the van.

I guess there's a bloke in there vetting the hits there and then but I wouldn't put it past the gubmint to just send out the fines and let you prove it was actually seen off road...

Guilty until proved innocent seems like the way forward for this lot.

SM

[Jasandjules]

supermono said:

Guilty until proved innocent seems like the way forward for this lot.

SM

Best way to hit those performance targets - I wonder how many people aren't sure so just pay up.

[skwdenyer]

Zumbruk said:

Since the SORN regs came in, there's no such thing as a "car parked legally untaxed on a driveway". Either it's taxed, SORN'd or illegal.

With all due respect, you are incorrect. If the car has not been taxed or declared SORN since the SORN regulations came in then it is still quite legal to leave it parked without either tax or SORN. However if you now SORN it you fall into the new "net" and will have to keep on declaring it SORN.

This is important if you are buying an old classic to restore that has been off the road for some years.

[gonte]

I was repairing an auto gate on Friday and one of these vans pulled up and clamped a car next to me. the driver then said to me ' if the owner comes back mate don't lend him your grinder he has unpaid parking and congestion fines' so I suppose its to collect these and other unpaid fines. Are the camreas live do you think or just to look good like the TV licence vans?