In a recent leaked document to the civil service union PCS, were plans to close the 49 regional Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority, DVLA, offices. The local Vehicle Registration Offices handle the transfer of private number plates, Tachographs and Tax classification changes amongst other tasks.
The leaked document apparently proposes that the tasks carried out via the 49 strong local offices is to be centralised to the DVLA head office in Swansea. The DVLA have recently closed their private number plates telesales operation and this closure program if it does go ahead could see up to 1500 staff loose their jobs.
Currently applications to transfer private number plates and retention of cherished number plates can be made online or sent by post to DVLA Swansea. The DVLA randomly call donor vehicles for inspection when you’re making a cherished retention or transfer application thats not usually a huge issue. However a vehicle in Aberdeen surely wouldn’t be expected to be seen in Swansea?
The local offices do a good job on the whole, as with any large organisation not everything is perfect. Since registrations were first issued in the 1900’s local offices have always played an integral part in issuing and transferring private number plates.
