Will changes to DVLA Services benefit motorists?

UK motorists have been told that the changes to the DVLA will lead to better, quicker service from the DVLA after Roads Minister Mike Penning gave the go-ahead for wide-ranging reforms to the Agency.

The DVLA say that the key improvements are focused on centralizing the DVLA's services and making more transactions available online. This, they hope, will make it easier than ever for people to deal with the agency at a time and place that suits them. This transformation of the DVLA's services will result in around £26 million year on year saving for the taxpayer.

The announcement, on 4 July 2012, means that the DVLA’s 39 regional offices will close. It is hoped that some of the staff will be able to re-locate to the head office in Swansea.  No offices will close until late 2013, when alternative services will be available either through its contract for front office counter services, online or directly from Swansea. DVLA will now work to help affected staff as a matter of priority.

The DVLA is reported to employ 6,116 staff, of whom 1,213 are now potentially affected by the office closures. Consultation with staff is now taking place and the unions are being consulted.

The closure will see the loss of the following regional offices:- Aberdeen, Bangor, Beverley, Birmingham, Borehamwood, Bournemouth, Brighton, Bristol, Cardiff, Carlisle, Chelmsford, Chester, Dundee, Edinburgh, Exeter, Glasgow, Inverness, Ipswich, Leeds, Lincoln, Maidstone, Manchester, Newcastle Upon Tyne, Nottingham, Northampton, Norwich, Oxford, Peterborough, Portsmouth, Preston, Sidcup, Sheffield, Shrewsbury, Stockton-on-Tees, Theale, Truro and Wimbledon.

The offices carry out administrative functions, such as arranging trade plates for garages, vehicle inspections and personalized registration mark transfers. But 10 of these offices also are regional enforcement centers.

Roads Minister, Mike Penning said:- “The DVLA has been serving motorists for more than 40 years but times and customers' needs change. That is why the agency continues to transform its services to give customers more choice and flexibility while offering best value for money for the taxpayer. These changes - developed after carefully listening to views expressed at consultation - will ensure that the agency delivers a smarter service to bring real benefits for the motor industry and every motorist in this country. I understand that the phased closure of the regional offices will come as a disappointment to those directly affected. I would like to thank the staff in these offices who have played an important part in DVLA service delivery over the years."

DVLA’s Chief Executive, Simon Tse said:- “We are absolutely committed to delivering the best service we can. Our continued movement towards digital transactions and the greater use of other organisations to deliver services on our behalf will make it easier for motorists to deal with us in a way that suits them and also reduce significant burden on the motor industry and other stakeholders. A top priority for us now is to support our staff who work in our regional offices. We will do everything we possibly can to provide help and guidance during what are clearly uncertain times for them. We are working closely with the Public and Commercial Services union and those members of staff directly affected to explore all avenues, including possible relocation to Swansea or redeployment within the Civil Service.”

The reforms announced today follow a public consultation on the transformation of DVLA’s services. The DVLA’s response to the consultation and its Case for Change can be viewed here:- dft.gov.uk/dvla/transformation.

The plans will also allow motorists in Northern Ireland to benefit from the same services that motorists in Great Britain have access to. This will give parity of service across the UK.

Key changes as part of the transformation agenda will see:-

►  Motor dealers able to do far more for their customers using DVLA digital services. This will remove unnecessary burdens on the motorist and enable motor dealers to offer a one stop service in the vast majority of new and used vehicle sales.

►  Far greater use of front office services by intermediaries. This will mean that over 1 million licensing applications per year that currently can only be carried out at DVLA’s 39 regional offices will be available via a much wider network of front office services –potentially up to some 6,000 outlets - cutting travel time for motorists and giving them much greater choice of where they choose to deal with DVLA.

►  A step change as more and more of DVLA’s services become digital.

►  The removal of burden on motor dealers by centralising the printing and despatching of tax discs direct to the registered keeper at DVLA’s HQ in Swansea. Currently, motor dealers pay an indemnity to DVLA to store tax discs for the vehicles they register and licence – this typically amounts to a total of around £9 million per year. By removing the burden on motor dealers to store discs, smaller dealers who currently cannot afford the indemnity will benefit and those dealers who currently pay the indemnity will see the advantages by the removal of time consuming administrative burden.

►  The phased closure of DVLA’s regional offices given the face to face channel at those offices will no longer be necessary for motorists to deal with DVLA. The work carried out at the 10 regional enforcement centres will be centralised in Swansea. No regional offices will close until alternative delivery channels are up and running. This means that the phased closures will not start until October 2013 and are expected to be completed by December 2013.

So does this affect you? Also do you think this is a good idea or a bad idea? Let us know by emailing us to:- news24@southportreporter.com and let us know what you think!