There is to be a crackdown on motorists breaking the law by driving unregistered vehicles from abroad, which is believed to cost the Treasury some £60 million a year in lost road tax.
The BBC reports that offenders will have their cars seized and face prosecution in a pilot scheme involving six police forces.
The police will use information stored by HMRC and obtained by UK Border Force regarding foreign cars brought into the UK. The six police forces taking part are Thames Valley, Hampshire, West Midlands, Northamptonshire, West Mercia and Staffordshire.
This crackdown has been welcomed by motoring organisations that have been campaigning for more pressure to be put on drivers who exploit vehicle exercise duty laws. The RAC highlighted UK Border Force figures which show that 350,000 cars have entered the country and stayed longer than six months without paying the necessary taxes.
“This announcement is good news for all law-abiding British motorists who have rightly felt aggrieved that foreign-registered vehicles are allowed to get away with not paying Vehicle Excise Duty after being in the country for more than six months,” said RAC head of external affairs Pete Williams.
He added that trial will bring to light just how many drivers are currently flouting the law and will result in increased tax revenue for the Treasury, which he hopes will be put towards improving the state of UK roads.
Meanwhile, information published by the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) shows that more than 23,000 foreign drivers have escaped speeding tickets in the UK since January 2013. Director of policy and research at the IAM, Neil Greig, says this is an additional issue that also needs to be addressed.
Initially, however, it is unpaid road tax that will come under the microscope. When a vehicle is brought into the UK, its owner must register it with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) within six months.
It is hoped that a more systematic exchange of information, with the DVLA now having eyes on data held by the HMRC, will make for a more comprehensive approach. In the past, the DVLA has relied purely on information from the police and the public to identify unregistered cars from overseas.
Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said the unregistered vehicles are “a danger” on UK roads and the government is determined to reduce current figures.
“We will use all of the information available to us to make sure we take tough action where necessary to keep our roads safe,” he added.
Police will have the power to seize and impound any illegal foreign vehicles they discover. The registered keeper will have to part with £200 to have the vehicle released and a surety fee of £160 get the vehicle back.
The DVLA will also issue the keeper written correspondence outlining the road tax owed on the vehicle, and go to court if the owner fails to pay.
The pilot scheme starts in November and will run until February next year.
Copyright © M2 Bespoke 2014
The post Police Crackdown To Target Illegal Foreign Cars appeared first on .