No more tax discs!

[Jack]

It seemed fairly inevitable, but looks like the tax disc is finally coming to an end.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-25223631

Not sure how this will affect us - we still get a tax disc, even though it is free, I suppose it will just be a case of logging on to the government website and clickng the box that says "yes please" once a year, or maybe not!

If they really wanted to save money of course a much fairer system would be to just add the cost to the price of fuel - the more miles you do, the more you pollute, the more wear you put on the roads, the more tax you pay. It seems unfair that a driver with an economical car with a free tax disc could do 30,000 miles in a year, and is paying nothing in VED, vs someone with a big engined 4x4 could be paying several hundred pounds and doing 50 miles a year.

Jack.

[AlanBartlett]

From a historical point of view Im quite against this as they are part of classic cars history as much as being covered on the road. Especially if you have a fairly detailed history on a vehicle tax discs are a great addition telling you when the car was on the road perhaps. Though thats fairly anoracky of me but still I looked forward to get my piece of paper. Or perhaps not in a years time. On the other hand you are paying for piece of fresh air which Im also against even though it maybe on a system, how many times government systems are in the wrong but its always your fault. At least you had proof.

[Keith Clements]

Yes but it does mean the 1952 tax disc displayed on the vehicle is now legal!
The system was antiquated and open to fraud. Now all they need to do is to put identity chips/mobile technology on all cars to stop number plate fraud and improve recovery of stolen vehicles. Probably cost less than £50 a car. Not that such a system cannot be defeated by a determined criminal but it would help. Oh and charge all non-UK vehicles an entry fee for use of our roads.

[ian Howell]

Keith says: -

"charge all non-UK vehicles an entry fee for use of our roads"

I wonder how many foreign registered cars on our roads have current taxation in their own country?

If I buy a foreign registered car, can I insure it for use in this country but not pay any tax?

I wonder ... (but not a lot!).