1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194 
Refleding on the painful process of taxing the fleet
Page 68
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
Do you dread retaxing the fleet? Tony O'Brien has plenty of time to reflect as he does the waiting room shuffle.
For several years I have been responsible for the onerous task of ensuring that our fleet is fully taxed. Over the years several methods have been employed—some more painful than others, Method 1: Going to see Pam. She's the friendly proprietress of our local Post Office and will greet you with a warm smile as she sits in front of her post office bravery certificate. She represents all that's good in our country and is a welcome break from the day's toil. She'll examine your documents arid with years of customer friendly efficiency,hand over a tax disc with little or no fuss, then send you on your way with a cheery wave. Short of offering a cup of tea and a slice of Battenburg it's hard to see how she could make the experience more pleasant. Method 2: Put the documents in the post and cross your fingers. Method 3: Take a trip to the local DVLA office. In our experience this actually breaks down into two alternative systems as follows.
The first system is to take a ticket and wait and wait in the non-air conditioned office as the seasons pass. Eventually, after the person in front has not responded to the repeated calls over the house tannoy system your chance arrives. It's a bit like taking your 11Plus— the only difference being is that if you fail you take are-test a few days later and the process is repeated. Pray that your documents are spot on if you don't want to be doing this endlessly The other system put into play is the DVLA version of musical chairs,although it's a version without the music or fun and a prize you have to pay for.
It involves a long row of metal chairs that the unfortunate players must polish as we slide from one end of the queue to the other while being hectored to shuffle along by DVLA staff. Eventually, you may end up with your documents.
Given all the options, it will be wonderful if and when the DVLA's long-promised online licensing system is put in place. It might finally drag the whole process into the 21st century..
Tony O'Brien, Dickson Transport. Ray Dickson is away.