a As a result of recent legislation affecting Road Fund Licences,
Page 51
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
I shall be pleased to receive your comments in respect of an apparent anomaly on this matter.
The 14 days' grace for the purpose of tax renewal is, I believe, now legislated and official and confirms a certain time tolerance allowing for cheque clearance, clerical attention, postal delays, etc.
What appears to be an invidious piece of new legislation is the Act which now permits the police to institute action by fixed penalty procedure, ie by traffic wardens, for failing to display a current Road Fund Licence disc. On the one hand the Department of the Environment appears to have recognized the requirement of the time factor extension for tax renewal while on the other hand the procedure has now been instituted whereby a vehicle operator can be penalized if, owing to unforeseen circumstances, advantage has to be taken of the official time concession.
I have recently experienced a situation whereby a new vehicle was put into commission, the registration made, the Road Fund Tax paid, and while awaiting the arrival of the tax disc from the council concerned the vehicle was put to work. A few days later while the vehicle was parked a traffic warden "booked" the driver with a fixed penalty ticket for falling to display a current tax disc, despite the fact that the windscreen displayed the usual note "Tax Applied For". What are your views?
AYour question raises an interesting point
but unfortunately you are not correct in your assumption that the 14 days' grace period for renewal of road fund licences is legal. The period of grace is and always has been allowed for the benefit of the licensing staff to handle the administrative work and is not a period of grace for the vehicle owner to make application.
There has been no legislation altering this situation and none is planned. You must display a current tax disc and if you do not do so you are liable to prosecution either by the normal procedure or by the fixed penalty system. It is unusual for the former to be adopted but it is an increasing practice for the latter case particularly since traffic wardens have been given additional powers.
A change in the system will take place when the new centralized licensing centre at Swansea opens in 1973. A reminder will be sent 14 days before the licence expiry date and vehicle owners will be expected to apply immediately so that the vehicle carries a licence disc from the first day of the new period.