VTR1000.ORG

Got to say that the DVLA in particular now have some good user friendly IT systems in place. Vehicle transfers, Road Tax, SORN, checking if you have penalty points, checking tax/test status of a potential bike buy etc seem to work really well these days. They often get a bad press but these various systems seem to have come on leaps and bounds recently.

However the money it has saved is outweighed by increased evasion.

https://www.theregister.co.uk/2017/11/1 ... tax_discs/

Still as you say it is releatively simple to pay online and when buying a vehicle, as long as a post office is open and nearby, it makes the procedure pretty straightforward.

"It appears that having a visual reminder was an effective way to prompt drivers into renewing their car tax – arguably more drivers are now prepared to try their luck and see if they can get away with not paying any vehicle tax at all, or are simply forgetting to tax their vehicle when they are due to," he said.''

What & the letter they send you about a month before it's due isn't a good enough reminder !

The paper disc is only any good as a reminder if you look at it...

I would still hope that the numberplate recognition cameras are checking the tax 7 insurance status of all vehicles as they pass .... if not I am going to complain to my MP

Auto detectors aren't much cop if the offending vehicle just pootles about in the sticks / small towns / housing estates and doesn't use main roads / motorways.

Plus there's an big cars auction place to me that sells vehicles and dodgy folk just buy an old jalopy using a Micky Mouse name for say £50 and drive off - cheaper than a hire car ;-) - any problems and they bail out - filling up at petrol stations and driving off without paying is no problem as they aren't identifyable and traceable.

One time my storm was knocked over when parked up by one of these auction specials (as well as damaging four other cars) and despite the police catching two guys running way after it crashed they couldn't prosecute as they didn't know which one of the pair was the driver.