Earl wrote:

Waldorf wrote:Yes, change the system:
First, issue personal number-plates to motorists which are swapped from vehicle to vehicle - the plate is registered centrally.
Second, make drivers/riders carry the vehicle documents in the vehicle.

It works elsewhere. There is no reason why it shouldn't in the UK.

Hows the plate thing work, you must have to inform them that you've changed vehicles?

Waldorf wrote:Yes but it's no more complicated than doing so here.

As the number-plate is registered to its owner at a given address a form for paying the annual fee at the bank is sent through the post.
In fact the form is a Bank Transfer document so no actual cash is involved.

This payment system is used for many transactions; I paid annually for my parish magazine in the same way.

So why bother? Leave the current system in place.

Because it doesn't require the printing, postage (sending out the disc) and man-power to operate as does the tax-disc system.

Waldorf wrote:Because it doesn't require the printing, postage (sending out the disc) and man-power to operate as does the tax-disc system.

But you're on about the number plate not the tax disc. Oh as for carrying the log book in the vehicle, how easy does that make it to sell a stolen car.

Oh dear.
In Belgium I 'owned' the number-plate. This situation is registered with the Belgian equivilant of the DVLA.
When the annual fee/tax is due, I received notification and the bank transfer form in the post and during a visit to the bank made the payment.
No further correspondance is necessary.

Naturally, if the plate is transferred to a new vehicle the authorities have to be notified.

Because vehicles are sold without a number-plate, it seems that there is little problem concerning stolen cars because a quick computer-check by the police will reveal that a car with someone else's plates on is stolen.

Doubtless, there are faults with any system if one looks hard enough but it works there.

I've run out of words with one syllable.

Waldorf wrote:Oh dear.
In Belgium I 'owned' the number-plate. This situation is registered with the Belgian equivilant of the DVLA.
When the annual fee/tax is due, I received notification and the bank transfer form in the post and during a visit to the bank made the payment.
No further correspondance is necessary.

Naturally, if the plate is transferred to a new vehicle the authorities have to be notified.

Because vehicles are sold without a number-plate, it seems that there is little problem concerning stolen cars because a quick computer-check by the police will reveal that a car with someone else's plates on is stolen.

Doubtless, there are faults with any system if one looks hard enough but it works there.

I've run out of words with one syllable.

Use 2 then. But I still think it's stupid to keep the log book to the vehicle in the vehicle.