SPARKS Programme Calls for New DVLA Powers in the Local Transport BillItem Added 17 September 2007The DVLA must be given new powers under the Local Transport Bill to help local authorities crackdown on the problem of foreign registered vehicles avoiding paying parking and other traffic penalties – says the SPARKS Programme.
The SPARKS Programme, a partnership of London’s traffic enforcement agencies, wants the DVLA to be able to obtain and pass on information that will help authorities identify and trace the owners of foreign registered vehicles that have committed parking or driving offences. This will help authorities pursue foreign registered vehicle owners for any unpaid penalties issued to them - as is done now for UK-registered vehicles.
In its response to the consultation on the Draft Local Transport Bill, the SPARKS Programme has said:
- Traffic enforcement is ineffective if those responsible for breaking the rules cannot be identified. The DVLA needs to be given authority to obtain vehicle keeper information from overseas licensing agencies and pass it on for enforcement purposes
- Many European licensing agencies already share vehicle keeper data across borders for the purposes of enforcement – including The Netherlands, Germany, Belgium and Switzerland. Eight European licensing authorities have confirmed they are willing to supply keeper data to UK local authorities for civil enforcement
- The SPARKS Programme sees little reason why the UK cannot cooperate with partners to improve the fair application of road charging measures and penalty charges
- Over three million foreign registered vehicles now enter the UK every year and the number is increasing. Enforcement of road user charging schemes against keepers of these vehicles is a growing challenge for local transport bodies. The Local Transport Bill is an opportunity to address this challenge at an early stage
- The continued inability of local authorities to access vehicle keeper data from foreign licensing agencies means penalty notices for not paying a road pricing charge cannot be issued to large numbers of vehicles. This undermines the ability of local authorities to deliver on the devolutionary aims of the Bill. Yet this could be addressed by the inclusion of a simple legislative change.
Sparks Steering Group Chairman Nick Lester said:
“The forthcoming Local Transport Bill is an excellent opportunity for the government to help local authorities crack down on foreign registered vehicles that do not pay congestion charge fees or penalty charges for many contraventions such as driving in bus lanes or parking in pedestrian crosses.
“By allowing the DVLA to receive vehicle keeper data from foreign licensing agencies, we can begin to complete the chain of information supply that will lead to fairer enforcement and better regulation of the rules of the road. All drivers should be equal in the application of traffic enforcement.” |
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Facts & Figures- London has an exceptionally high level of foreign vehicle activity - the city accounts for 7% of all UK traffic activity, but 20% of FRV activity
- 3% of all traffic activity in London is FRV
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