The paper tax disc which has adorned windscreens of cars in the UK for 90 years – but in according to new plans designed to reform the DVLA (Driving and Vehicle Licensing Agency), the DSA (Driving Standards Agency), the VCA (Vehicle Certification Agency) and the VOS (Vehicle and Operator Services), it may soon be a thing of the past.
With almost all driving information now stored in online databases, which are accessible to the police whilst they are on the road, the need for the paper tax disc is gradually becoming less and less. Considering, as well, that the paper part of the driving license is also due to be scraped in 2015, the move to scrap the tax disc is not a surprise.
Scrapping the paper tax disc would not only save money for the government (important in this economic climate) but also move to be a far more efficient for drivers. Renewing your tax can already be as simple going online and paying. The only flaw is that you still have to wait a few days for the tax disc to arrive. Without the tax disc, it becomes even easier, as tax can be renewed up to the day it expires, with no need to wait for a disc to arrive in the post.
There are still those though who oppose the new plans, including many of the policeforce who believe that the display of a tax disc should remain a legal requirement. Indeed, it can be noted that in the instance that their digital systems fail, it would be impossible for them to find out whether or not a motorist had valid tax without appealing for assistance from their station.
My opinion is in support of the digitalisation of driving documents. As mentioned before, police have easy access to details about a car, its insurance and tax without the need for unnecessary paperwork. How often, when we have needed to produce the paper part of your license, for whatever reason, have you struggled to locate amongst a mountain of paperwork? Equally, how often have you struggled with the fiddly tax disc and tax disc holders which, no matter how hard you seem to try, still end up on the dashboard when the weather doesn’t agree? This is the digital age – and it’s time to digitalise.
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