Driver and Vehicle Agency office shuts in July

Driver and Vehicle Agency office shuts in July

25 June 2014

THE Driver and Vehicle Agency’s office at Rathkeltair House in Downpatrick closes next month.

The shutters will be pulled for the final time on July 17 — as revealed three weeks ago in the Recorder — with services transferred to Swansea as part of a major centralisation drive which will result in the loss of over 300 Driver and Vehicle Agency (DVA) jobs across the Province and the closure of all motor tax offices.

Ahead of the closure of the Downpatrick office, the Department of Environment has outlined how local people can tax their vehicles.

Motorists are being advised that from July 21, people who wish to tax or register vehicles must do this online at www.gov.uk/taxdisc or at a post office.

From July 21, all vehicle licensing will be delivered by the Driver Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) in Swansea. Anyone in Down District wishing to tax a vehicle on July 18 will need to go to a post office as DVA staff in Downpatrick will be involved in the hand over of services to their counterparts in Wales.

DVA chief executive, Paul Duffy, said it’s important anyone seeking to tax their vehicle knows exactly how the new system will work.

“The change over to a new system should be as smooth as possible for local motorists. I have advised DVLA officials in Swansea that they need to communicate with people taxing their cars here, as clearly and timely as possible.

“DVA staff have provided a first class service to motorists here and have set a very high standard for the DVLA in Swansea to follow when it takes over full responsibility for all vehicle licensing services from July 21,” he added.

Driver licensing, driver and vehicle testing, bus and taxi licensing services, in tandem with roadside compliance checks, are not affected by the transfer of vehicle licensing services to Swansea.

The identity checking service for first time applicants for provisional driving licences currently provided at motor tax offices, will be available from July 21 at Driver Licensing headquarters at County Hall in Coleraine and at the Downpatrick MoT centre in Downpatrick.

Vehicle owners are reminded that the Downpatrick DVA office will be unable to process any motor tax postal applications sent after Friday, July 11.

Access to the DVLA’s online vehicle tax service will allow motorists to tax a vehicle or declare it off the road 24 hours a day, seven days a week by logging on at www.gov.uk/taxdisc.

Local motorists can also buy NI and GB personalised registration numbers through DVLA’s personalised registration sales scheme available at www.dvlaregistrations.direct.gov.uk.