By Suzanna Kerridge, 10 February 1999 16:43
NEWS Buying tax discs over the Internet could soon be a reality thanks to the formation of a technology strategy board by UK government vehicle agencies. The agencies joining forces are the Driving and Vehicle Licensing Agency, Driving Standards Agency, Vehicle Certification Agency, Vehicle Inspectorate (VI) and Traffic Area Network. The new board - to be known as the Driver, Vehicle and Operator Strategy Board - will be chaired by the Department of Environment, Transport and Regions (DETR) director general Chris Brearley. The board is designed to promote inter-agency cooperation by integrating the call handling IT systems between the agencies. Speaking about the project, transport minister, Lord Whitty said the board wanted to improve service to the motorist. A DETR spokeswoman said: "It's all in the theme of joined up government. It's a case of not just having the systems - but having systems that are more user friendly." She claimed online tax discs could be ready as early as next year if the current pilot scheme is successful. Computerised MOTs and links to car registration details for magistrate courts could also be offered. "The Vehicle Inspectorate is developing plans to put car registration online so that magistrate courts can see quickley if the license holder has a criminal record or VI record - so the prosecution process can be speeded up," she said.
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