AGENDA ITEM X

BOROUGH OF POOLE

TRANSPORTATION ADVISORY GROUP – THURSDAY 23 OCTOBER 2014

REPORT OF HEAD OF TRANSPORTATION SERVICES

ENFORCEMENT IMPACT OF DVLA TAX DISC CHANGES FOR DISABLED TAX EXEMPT VEHICLES

INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY:

1.PURPOSE AND POLICY CONTEXT

1.1To consider implications to car park enforcement by DVLA changes to

Issuing tax discs to motorists that are eligible to disability tax exemption. DVLA have (without prior consultation with Local Authorities), removed their on line category status for checkingDisability Tax Exempt Vehicles (DTEVs) making it impossible for Civil Enforcement Officers (CEOs) to check their validity.

2.DECISION REQUIRED

2.1It is recommended that TAG members note:

(a)That in order to continue enforcing the free parking concession for disability tax exempt vehicles, existing holders will need to display their nil tax disc (even though it is out of date) and that new holders will need to contact the council and register their vehicle details in order to avoid receiving a PCN.

(b)Officers will monitor the new enforcement arrangements and will present a report to TAG at a future meeting if this revised method proves to be too onerous and expensive to enforce.

(c)It is anticipated that DVLA will change their web tax disc checking portal to enable CEOs to undertake disability tax disc status checks using existing Hand Held Terminals in the near future.

3.BACKGROUND/INFORMATION

3.1From 1st October 2014, motorists will no longer have to display their car tax disc. DVLA have applied this to all motorists including DTEVs.

3.2In the Borough of Poole DTEVs are exempt from car park charges anduntil recently, the only way in which CEOs could recognise this concession is through eligible holders displaying the disability nil tax disc in their windscreens.

3.3 Prior to the 1st October 2014changeover date, (June 2014), the DVLA web checking tax disc portal enabled councils to check the category nil tax status of each vehicle to distinguish between those that were disabled exempt from say those that were for low vehicle emissions. This meant there would be minimal operational or financial impact on parking enforcement. However, in August 2014, the DVLA removed the category tax disc status of each vehicle which meantthat CEOs would have no means of distinguishing between disability and low vehicle emission vehicles.

3.3Details to the DVLA tax disc changes were presented to the Getting About Poole (GAP) Group at a specific meeting held 31stJuly 2014. The Group came up with a number of suggestions, with a general consensus that free parking for DTEVs should be retained in council car parks and that in some car parks it would be difficult for GAP members to pay at machines.

4.FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

4.1We do not know how many disability tax exempt vehicles park in Borough car park but it is believed to be very small. We will undertake sample car park surveys to guestimate likely numbers.

4.2 There will be additional costs to car park enforcement servicesas a result of these enforcement and administration changes. At this stage it is too early to estimate but these will be monitored.

5.LEGAL IMPLICATIONS

5.1None

6.RISK MANAGEMENT

6.1This could have an impact on Council reputation but this is being managed by Comms and Transportation Services through press statements and updating web site.

7.EQUALITIES IMPLICATIONS

7.1None.

8.CONCLUSIONS

8.1The Council is facing financial pressures which are having a very real impact on its ability to deliver services, including those to the vulnerable.

8.2Until the DVLA make the appropriate changes to its web tax disc checking portal, every effort will be made to ensure that free parking concessions for disabled tax exempt vehicles can be feasibly enforced

8.2In the interim, officers will monitor the impact of this enforcement arrangement and report back to TAG if or when changes are necessary for operational purposes.

Julian McLaughlin

Service Unit Head

Contact Officer: Jason Benjamin Parking Services Manager (Tel:01202 262150)

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