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Motorists should not
be forced to fund upgrades to DVLA systems or the renewal of photo
licences. That's the line taken by the SMMT in response to the
DVLA's fee proposal consultation. The Society goes on to criticise
the licensing body for failing to absorb costs by improving
efficiency.
SMMT chief executive Christopher Macgowan said, 'This doesn't make
sense. No business would survive if it passed the costs of going
online to the customer, so why does the DVLA think this is
acceptable? 'The government takes £4.4 billion a year in road tax and just got
an extra £32.5 million from last year's massive hike in the new car
registration fee. Continuous licensing also means fewer road tax
dodgers and more income. So where is all the extra money going?'
The DVLA plans to increase income include:
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Ten year photo card licence renewal set at a cost of around
£19.00. An annual registration fee for the UK's 29 million cars of
between £2.50 and £4.50, generating an additional £130
million.
Christopher Macgowan added, 'The introduction of photo licences
should be delivering benefits to society through reduced crime. If
there were cost implications, the process should have been subject
to an impact assessment. With proper scrutiny, the industry believes
that costs could have been absorbed without hitting drivers in the
pocket.'
Last year, DVLA raised a record £74.9 million from the sale of
personalised number plates
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