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The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is back on the road targeting motorists in Edinburgh who have dodged tax on their vehicles.

Edinburgh is one of the regions of the UK where vehicle tax evasion is higher, with the Capital specifically in the top 20 areas for evasion in the UK.

Last year, 24,779 motorists in the EH postcode area with untaxed vehicles received enforcement actions - from penalties and fines to clamping, with some ultimately losing their vehicle.

Enforcement action is being taken against untaxed motors in the Capital

Penalties enforced on those evading

To check for untaxed vehicles, the DVLA use automatic number-plate recognition (ANPR) equipment which alerts them within seconds if a vehicle has evaded.

Several untaxed vehicles were seized by the DVLA in Leith yesterday

When DVLA clamps an untaxed vehicle the motorist is charged a £100 release fee.

Untaxed vehicles are impounded if the release fee is not paid within 24 hours

If they cannot show that the vehicle has been taxed when it is released the motorist will have to pay a surety fee of £160. This is refunded if the motorists can show the vehicle has been taxed within 15 days.

If the release fee is not paid within 24 hours DVLA impounds the vehicle and the fee rises to £200. There is also a storage charge of £21 per day.

It is also a reminder that if a vehicle is declared off the road it must be kept off the road on private land and it is an offence to use or keep a vehicle declared SORN on a public road.

DVLA’s enforcement teams take action against vehicles spotted that are declared SORN on public roads.

'Easy to do, hard to avoid'

Elaine Rees, national wheel clamping manager said: “People do forget to tax, and some people choose to evade. but it is so easy to tax your car, you can do it monthly, or six monthly if long term is cheaper for you.

“We know from previous campaign work that the evasion rate dropped by 0.2 per cent, what we really want people to know is that it is so easy to do and hard to avoid. The other thing is

that we don’t have to physically see your car to take enforcement action, clamping is just the most visible one.”

Julie Lennard, chief executive of the DVLA said: “While the number of untaxed vehicles on the road is falling, we are determined to reduce this even further.

“While the vast majority of motorists do the right thing and tax correctly, this campaign highlights the real consequences of not taxing.”

Decreasing number of evaders

The latest figures published in November 2019 show 98.4 per cent of vehicles on the road are taxed correctly which decrease in evasion of 0.2 per cent on the figures from 2017.

When it comes to the time to renew tax, the DVLA sends reminders to all vehicle keepers and renewal notices to Direct Debit customers.

Motorists can go online 24 hours a day to tax their vehicle or check whether their vehicle tax is up to date.

Edinburgh motorists targeted in DVLA campaign to clamp down of untaxed vehicles