Proposed DVLA Local Office Closures

[Battles]

While at the DVLA local office at lunchtime I was greeted (literally, I got a big cheery "hello") by some union members making visitors aware of the proposals to close the Local Office network by the end of next year.
I thought there would be delays inside because the staff were outside but I was still in and out in twenty minutes.

Anyways, if you've used a DVLA local office and found it to be remotely useful, or even just better than relying on posting forms and cheques, you should consider visiting the two sites below and making your voice heard.
(In the interests of balance, if you think the DVLA local offices should close, why not respond to the consultation online using the second link?)

Links
www.savethedvla.co.uk/
An online petition hosted by the Government's ePetitions site.

www.dft.gov.uk/dvla/consultations.aspx
The site has a couple of consultations listed, the DVLA local office closures are part of the "Transforming DVLA Services" section.
Anyone who completed the consultations on two year MOTs and suchlike will be familiar with these. They don't take long to do.

The top three Google Images for "DVLA Inspection" are:




Sadly, this little gem was miles down the page.

This guy ^ should do us a build thread.

[VIP]

There should be some radical reform at the DVLA, but I don't think closing local offices should be one of them.

Abolishing VED would be a great start, as I strongly believe the net financial gains of people paying VED are almost abolished by the costs of employing and operating the departments that process VED applications, process reminders, chase those who don't pay it, plus the costs of operating mobile units to catch offenders, and recover vehicles.

[akku]

Feb 14, 2012 15:44:19 GMT VIP said:

There should be some radical reform at the DVLA, but I don't think closing local offices should be one of them.

Abolishing VED would be a great start, as I strongly believe the net financial gains of people paying VED are almost abolished by the costs of employing and operating the departments that process VED applications, process reminders, chase those who don't pay it, plus the costs of operating mobile units to catch offenders, and recover vehicles.

When I have time I'm going to put in the relevant FOI requests to prove this is the case.

[Battles]

The consultation is proposing some radical stuff ("This is an ambitious programme of change") but not all of it makes sense.
There's a real undertone of having a timeable for scaling back existing ways to access services without having a clue how they'll be offered in future.
Example:

Transferring a personalised number plate to another vehicle
What you have to do now
Complete a paper application, enclose supporting documentation and arrange delivery to a DVLA Local Office – either in person or by post.

What will happen in the future
In the short term we will increase efficiency by reducing the bureaucracy and centralising the transaction. When it has been simplified, we will put the service online, potentially through intermediaries.

In this example, they admit that the current system is flawed but the detail is very light on what highly efficient process will replace it.
This is a recurring theme.

There are lots of references to consultations already carried out with commercial users, they've signalled that they want to see more done online which makes sense for high volume, low complexity tasks.

Getting rid of VED would be a brilliant idea, I genuinely can't see the downside but I can understand why it would be difficult to stomach in Government.
Even though it costs a lot to administrate, it's still revenue. Unless someone can demonstrate that it costs more than it brings in, it's here to stay.

[crazymonkey]

my local dvla office was brilliant for me, had to replace the tax disc that was lost on a bike and apply for a new logbook for it(had new keeper bit), no delays and the guy on the counter knew exactly what he was doing and told me a problem i was unaware of (probably a damn sight better than the ones in swansea ), going to be a pain if they do close it as means everything has to be sent to swansea which would mean it would go there, get sent back because of the error and then off again to finally get the tax disc.

And for a fact I know it would take ages to get the tax disc whereas it was done there and then over the counter at the local. in my hand. (which was a good job as had a 150 mile trek on it the following day lol)

[composimmonite]

Those of us of a certain age will remember the times when you could either visit the local DVLA office or apply through the post for your road tax. No going to the Post Office or on-line. Virtually all towns had a DVLA office. First they closed these local offices and now the regional offices reducing the services they can provide even more .
Personally I've had to make 4 trips in last couple of years to my "local office" even though it involves a 70+ mile round trip as not possible to sort the problems out nay other way.
BTW at one time you could tax your car for 3 months at a time and that was brilliant if you were short of money or just wanted to use a car for a short period - say sports car during summer or 4x4 during winter.

Paul H

[MWF]

Feb 14, 2012 14:14:11 GMT Battles said:

While at the DVLA local office at lunchtime I was greeted (literally, I got a big cheery "hello") by some union members making visitors aware of the proposals to close the Local Office network by the end of next year.
I thought there would be delays inside because the staff were outside but I was still in and out in twenty minutes.

Well there's two things to take from this

1) DVLA staff are only pleasant when they need you to help save their job.
2) Removing the staff has no affect on productivity.

I'll be glad to see them go personally, all they really do is push computer buttons and repeat what it says on the screen. I can do that on the internets.

[Deleted]

I've never been to a local office, never really known where there is one. Add to that finding a Post Office when I lived in Sheffield that actually sold road tax was less than straightforward and I thought it was already a centralised system with no outside branches. I'm surprised there's any branches left to close, I thought everything happened online and at Swansea, which is like the Vatican City of British motoring.

[Dez]

its not case of if, its when. they WILL be closing, its just how long they can delay it for until they can figure out how they're gunna do everything online.

[Battles]

Feb 14, 2012 17:32:31 GMT composimmonite said:

Those of us of a certain age will remember the times when you could either visit the local DVLA office or apply through the post for your road tax. No going to the Post Office or on-line. Virtually all towns had a DVLA office. First they closed these local offices and now the regional offices reducing the services they can provide even more

Was there any fuss when they closed the offices?
Any fuss when they started using the Post Offices?

[Battles]

Feb 14, 2012 16:23:38 GMT akku said:

Feb 14, 2012 15:44:19 GMT VIP said:

I strongly believe the net financial gains of people paying VED are almost abolished by the costs of employing and operating the departments that process VED applications, process reminders, chase those who don't pay it, plus the costs of operating mobile units to catch offenders, and recover vehicles.

When I have time I'm going to put in the relevant FOI requests to prove this is the case.

Something like this?
www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/ved_collection_and_processing

[composimmonite]

Feb 14, 2012 19:19:28 GMT Battles said:

Feb 14, 2012 17:32:31 GMT composimmonite said:

Those of us of a certain age will remember the times when you could either visit the local DVLA office or apply through the post for your road tax. No going to the Post Office or on-line. Virtually all towns had a DVLA office. First they closed these local offices and now the regional offices reducing the services they can provide even more

Was there any fuss when they closed the offices?
Any fuss when they started using the Post Offices?

A lot from the motor trade at the time. Previously they could nip down to the local office in the morning and customer drive away in a new car that afternoon. Now they have to send someone 70 miles so tend to do it weekly. Mate was a courier and car dealers used to pay him his day rate to go down rather than sending one of their own staff. He'd spend 1/2 day sitting there reading etc whilst the paperwork was processed so easy money for him.
Pubilc didn't moan as they extended the services offered by Post Offices at same time so they weren't affected.


Paul H

[fannywhacker]

Feb 14, 2012 18:41:26 GMT Dez said:

its not case of if, its when. they WILL be closing, its just how long they can delay it for until they can figure out how they're gunna do everything online.

Vehicle inspection online should be interesting.

[nomad]

Feb 14, 2012 18:23:26 GMT MWF said:

Feb 14, 2012 14:14:11 GMT Battles said:

....

Well there's two things to take from this

1) DVLA staff are only pleasant when they need you to help save their job.
2) Removing the staff has no affect on productivity.

I'll be glad to see them go personally, all they really do is push computer buttons and repeat what it says on the screen. I can do that on the internets.

There's a whole heap of problems with DVLA but for me one of the few things that works is my local office.
I'm not expecting a happy face and a warm welcome but they have always been polite and professional which is fine for me.

Lots of problems can be sorted out over the counter just by taking along the paperwork - if the local office closed I'd have to send it to Swansea and accept it might get lost in the post (or lost inside DVLA HQ :.
Even if it gets there it might sit on somebodies desk for a couple of weeks.
Best case it takes a week, worst case (see my sig!) was a simple V5 that was stuck at Swansea for 10 months Not ideal if it's the only thing stopping you getting your new project on the road

Summary ?
DVLA HQ sucks, DVLA local offices rock ;D

[sheffieldcortinacentre]

but your all forgetting the most important thing. the money they'll save & it'll look good on paper to a buyer when its privateised.

[skinnylew]

My local dvla office (granted it is very local i.e. 1 mile!) has been helpful in the three occasions I've needed their assistance. Far more helpful than Swansea DVLA....

[akku]

Feb 14, 2012 19:45:07 GMT Battles said:

Feb 14, 2012 16:23:38 GMT akku said:

When I have time I'm going to put in the relevant FOI requests to prove this is the case.

Something like this?
www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/ved_collection_and_processing

aha, thats the one.

[akku]

Feb 14, 2012 22:00:06 GMT nomad said:

Feb 14, 2012 18:23:26 GMT MWF said:

Well there's two things to take from this

1) DVLA staff are only pleasant when they need you to help save their job.
2) Removing the staff has no affect on productivity.

I'll be glad to see them go personally, all they really do is push computer buttons and repeat what it says on the screen. I can do that on the internets.

There's a whole heap of problems with DVLA but for me one of the few things that works is my local office.
I'm not expecting a happy face and a warm welcome but they have always been polite and professional which is fine for me.

Lots of problems can be sorted out over the counter just by taking along the paperwork - if the local office closed I'd have to send it to Swansea and accept it might get lost in the post (or lost inside DVLA HQ :.
Even if it gets there it might sit on somebodies desk for a couple of weeks.
Best case it takes a week, worst case (see my sig!) was a simple V5 that was stuck at Swansea for 10 months Not ideal if it's the only thing stopping you getting your new project on the road

Summary ?
DVLA HQ sucks, DVLA local offices rock ;D

This, really.

You can roll up with your imported car on it foreign plates, present the paperwork, a chap wanders out into the car park and says "yup, thats a car there son" you go back in and he gives you a reciept and a piece of paper "authorising" you to get registration plates. You stop in at the motor factors and you get plates made.

OK you may have to wait like an hour while all this takes place because of a long queue of motor traders or cherished registration folks.

But in the space of a morning you get your car legal.

As said, I'd hate to send all the original import paperwork off to DVLA head office and risk it being lost. You also won't get to keep the originals for your paperwork file either. I like curse word like that, and people who buy the car off me when I bore of it like that too.

I've found the local offices OK, helpful, done the job, no bother.

[fannywhacker]

Feb 15, 2012 7:55:18 GMT akku said:

Feb 14, 2012 22:00:06 GMT nomad said:

There's a whole heap of problems with DVLA but for me one of the few things that works is my local office.
I'm not expecting a happy face and a warm welcome but they have always been polite and professional which is fine for me.

Lots of problems can be sorted out over the counter just by taking along the paperwork - if the local office closed I'd have to send it to Swansea and accept it might get lost in the post (or lost inside DVLA HQ :.
Even if it gets there it might sit on somebodies desk for a couple of weeks.
Best case it takes a week, worst case (see my sig!) was a simple V5 that was stuck at Swansea for 10 months Not ideal if it's the only thing stopping you getting your new project on the road

Summary ?
DVLA HQ sucks, DVLA local offices rock ;D

This, really.

You can roll up with your imported car on it foreign plates, present the paperwork, a chap wanders out into the car park and says "yup, thats a car there son" you go back in and he gives you a reciept and a piece of paper "authorising" you to get registration plates. You stop in at the motor factors and you get plates made.

OK you may have to wait like an hour while all this takes place because of a long queue of motor traders or cherished registration folks.

But in the space of a morning you get your car legal.

As said, I'd hate to send all the original import paperwork off to DVLA head office and risk it being lost. You also won't get to keep the originals for your paperwork file either. I like curse word like that, and people who buy the car off me when I bore of it like that too.

I've found the local offices OK, helpful, done the job, no bother.

Not quite but almost. You have to wait for plates and tax disc now, nothing instant. Still, I found them very helpful last month and I'd rather take my chances there than with vosa.

[akku]

They don't have that bit of headed paper they scribble your name and the reg down on any more? Thats a shame. Mind you its a while since I did one.