Computer licence chaos hits industry
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THE £400 million Driver and Vehicle Licensing Centre at Swansea is causing chaos to hauliers compelled to use the new system and is resulting in threats of prosecution for some.
The centre and the time taken by it to carry out its operations were the subjects of a series of questions asked in the House of Commons by Opposition transport spokesman Mr Ncrman Fowler.
The questions followed a BBC Panorama spotlight on the centre which was designed to centralise all licensing operations in Britain.
Mr Fowler asked the Minister of Transport, Dr John Gilbert, for details of the costs of the centre and measures to stop unreasonable delays and whether he was satisfied with the working of the centre.
Mr Fowler commented: "The eventual staff is now expected to be 8,000 people, an increase of nearly 50 per cent, yet it has not produced a good service to the public.
"Last year the Ombudsman criticised the delay in the issue of driving licences—now that the centre has started issuing vehicle licences fresh complaints have started," he said.
The Road Haulage Association's southern area secretary, Mr Albert Simpson, described the centre as "tragic and pathetic." He said: "It is already causing problems for members. I know of at least three who have been threatened with prosecution for not displaying a tax disc.
"This is despite the fact that the reason they were not displaying a disc was bet'ause they could not get one," said Mr Simpson.
Mr Simpson said that he understood that it was now possible to renew tax at a post office: "The only snag here is that you can't renew until you get the appropriate reminder from Swansea and very often this doesn't arrive," he said.
"Unless we kill the bugeyed monster at Swansea it looks as though chaos is going to reign supreme for many years to come," said Mr Simpson.
In Newcastle area secretary Mr Denis Le Conte reported that it was "impossible " to try to ring the centre to ask for an explanation, "It is chaotic," he said.
Transport Under-Secretary Mr Ken Marks told the House: "The centre is in good heart and before long it will be providing the public with a good service and the police with a better one than they could have expected from the old system."
He said that the centre was suffering from "teething troubles " on the vehicle licensing system.