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Over two million vehicles in the UK are untaxed according to figures from the Department of Transport. The government’s statistics estimate that the amount of untaxed vehicles in Britain has risen by 63 per cent in seven years while the number of successful prosecutions has almost halved.
Labour MP Jim Fitzpatrick revealed the statistics during a parliamentary questioning session with Conservative transport spokeswoman Theresa Villers.
The figures estimate that the amount of untaxed vehicles in Britain has increased steadily from 1.3 million in 1999 to 2.1 million in 2006. During the same period the conviction rate of road tax evaders has fallen from 204,606 to 103,108.
Commenting on the government’s record Miss Villers said: “Rogue drivers without tax or insurance are a menace to other road users. The direct result of Labour’s incompetence in dealing with rogue drivers is that our roads are more dangerous.”
The government has now proposed legislation to allow the police and DVLA to take action against untaxed vehicles that are off the road.
Yet critics are sceptical of such plans claiming that persistent offenders are unlikely to show up on the DVLA’s records and many are uninsured and without a MOT or valid driver’s license.
Laurence Edmondson
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