Crackdown on illegal NI vehicles

Cars without tax are being targeted by police

Motorists in Northern Ireland are being warned that licensing authorities are now taking a zero-tolerance approach to untaxed and unsafe cars.

They want to double the numbers of illegal vehicles removed from the roads with unclaimed cars being crushed.

They have signed a three-year clamping contract with a private company.

In the 12 months to March 2006, about 5,500 vehicles were clamped, with 2,400 destroyed. If a car is clamped it will cost £80 for it to be released.

If a tax disc is not produced within two weeks the vehicle will be destroyed.

The Chief Executive of DVLNI, Brendan Magee said "This is not just about wheelclamping and removing untaxed cars.

A three-year contract has been signed with a clamping company

"It is about fighting crime, stopping criminals and making the streets safer. The message here is for the small hard core of evaders who have no intention of paying tax; we will take your car, no more warnings."

Since car tax can only be purchased with a valid MOT and insurance certificate, he said the approach would help to reduce the number of illegal and unsafe vehicles on the roads.

"By targeting untaxed vehicles, DVLNI is also helping to fight wider criminal activity as occupants of untaxed cars are more likely to be involved in activities involving drugs, anti-social behaviour, burglary and violent crime," he added.

A new fleet of vans from the private company, NCP, is now equipped with Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) technology and will scan number plates, automatically checking them against a list of untaxed vehicles.

Those identified as untaxed will be clamped and impounded. Those that are not claimed after seven days can be crushed.

Bob Macnaughton, NCP chief executive, said: "The new vans will enable us to recognise untaxed cars much more quickly than was previously possible - and we have the national reach to ensure we can cover the whole of the UK.

"Untaxed cars traced by the new vans will then be clamped or removed to secure sites all over the country. If a vehicle remains unclaimed it can be disposed of by crushing within just seven days."

In addition to the national scheme, DVLNI is also able to authorise councils and the PSNI to wheel clamp and impound untaxed vehicles in their local area.