I think it's because the revised system hopes to detect non-taxers via ANPR cameras, instead of officers looking at windscreens.
No it doesn't. It is not necessary for a vehicle to be seen for an offence to be committed. All vehicles must either be taxed or SORN'd. To have an untaxed vehicle that is not been declared SORN is an offence. All that's needed is a regular run (say once a month) of the DVLA database to identify those vehicles that are neither taxed nor SORN'd. A penalty notice (of about ten times the annual duty) can then be issued to the RK and rigorously enforced backed up with the power to seize and either sell or scrap the vehicle.
There is, of course, the issue of vehicles that have been SORN'd being used on the road. A team of inspectors should be employed tasked with visiting the RK's address with powers to demand to be told the whereabouts of the vehicle. If it cannot be seen and no satisfactory explanation for its whereabouts is provided a penalty should be issued. This should be higher than that for failing to tax a vehicle because it cannot be explained by oversight as a deliberate off-road declaration had been made. Similar powers to sell or scrap should be available.
The scrapping of the tax disc is smoke and mirrors. If owners are that dependent on a scrap of paper reminding them when payment is due they can sellotape a note to their glove box (and they could add their MoT expiry date as well to avoid a second problem).. The fact is it's being cited as an excuse for evasion that is not being prosecuted.
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