The DVLA has gained extra powers to track down road tax dodgers.
The Government authority was handed more clout under a legislative shake-up, meaning officers can now take action against untaxed vehicles parked off the public road, such as in council-owned car parks. Previously, it could only clamp or remove cars on public roads.
Legal loophole
This prevents owners from evading the DVLA by using a loophole in the law and parking their untaxed cars in off-road safety havens. Research in 2005 estimated that there were around 150,000 offenders in local authority car parks.
However the new powers do not include private driveways or car dealers' forecourts.
Owners of untaxed vehicles, whether parked on or off public roads, must declare it if their car is out of use to the Government agency and have a Statutory Off Road Notification in place. This can be done online, by phone, at a Post Office or when applying for a tax refund.
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