The changes have been announced by Roads Minister Stephen Hammond following a review of the DVLA launched in October 2013 that called for revisions including removing the driving licence paper counterpart, removing the requirement for annual statutory off road notifications, only issuing registration documents for fleet operators when needed, and removing the need for insurance to be checked when applying for tax.
In his response, Mr Hammond says that he is content to accept all of the recommendations in the report and has asked the chief executive of DVLA, Oliver Morley, to prepare a strategic plan for DVLA that prioritises those measures that will bring the greatest advantage to customers.
In a statement, the DVLA said that the changes will mean drivers will find it easier to access more services online rather than filling out paper forms or spending valuable time on the phone.
It added that the review found that not every customer has the same needs and the changes will reflect this – for example by providing simpler bulk transactions for key customers such as the motor trade, fleet operators and hire companies.
On the recommendation of the review, following the changes to online services the DVLA will also become a centre of digital excellence which will provide training and guidance for other government departments.
The news follows the recent announcements that fleets will be able to request electronic vehicle registration documents from 2015 when they need them and that the DVLA has also committed to abolishing the paper tax disc by October 2014, as announced in the Autumn Statement, and has promised to abolish the paper counterpart of the driving licence.
