The measures, which have been welcomed by Stephen Byers, Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions and Michael Meacher, Environment Minister, will enable local authorities to get rid of vehicles more quickly. The government also intends to introduce reforms to the vehicle registration system to ensure that, in future, all vehicles can be traced to the correct keeper. The new powers follow a government consultation which asked for ideas on how the problem of abandoned vehicles could be reduced.
Mr Byers explained that the new measures also aim to improve the accuracy of the vehicle register and to make owners take full responsibility for their vehicles. And tracing vehicle owners will now be easier as a result of a 2.7 million investment. He said: “We are encouraging local councils to work in partnership with the DVLA and other authorities, making real inroads into the bureaucratic barriers that have frustrated action in the past.”
Environment Minister Michael Meacher said he welcomed Mr Byers' proposals and said: “We are determined to put an end to the abominable eyesore on roads and also in the countryside of thousands of abandoned vehicles which are sometimes not removed for months. They diminish the quality of peoples' local environment and can act as a magnet for more serious anti-social behaviour. The new regulations tackle the problem head-on giving councils the right to remove vehicles including cars, vans, lorries and motorbikes left abandoned anywhere in England after 24 hours.”
Irresponsible
He added: “It is simply not right that an irresponsible minority of motorists should attempt to evade their responsibilities for registering, insuring and maintaining their vehicles.”
The new measures give local authorities powers to remove vehicles abandoned on the street anywhere in England after 24 hours instead of the present seven days. Local authorities will also be able to remove unlicensed vehicles after seven days rather than the current 35.
And councils will have improved access to the DVLA vehicle record through computer links with the licencing authority. The move follows a successful pilot in Newham where the local authority could obtain details of the registered keeper more quickly and easily than current method allows.
The government is also developing proposals for changing the vehicle registration system to ensure that all vehicles can be associated with a registered keeper who has clear responsibility for meeting costs and complying with responsibilities associated with the vehicle, until DVLA has been properly notified of a change of keepership.
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