Local Digital Coalition

The digital transformation of the DVLA took an important leap forward in 2014. Road tax discs no longer need be displayed, and the paper counterparts to UK driving licenses have been withdrawn. While these changes have opened up new ways of working, they have also led to some unintended consequences. Some local authorities are finding it more difficult to access and use certain DVLA information that was previous visible on paper documentation, meaning extra resources are required to perform manual checks, or to outsource these checks to others.

There are several key areas where digital checks of DVLA data can save local authorities significant time and costs.

Our discovery work suggests in the region of £24 million could be saved every year, within three years. This is from a suggested initial investment of £3 million, yielding a return on investment of
700%.

• Parking permits: £8.7 million per annum
• Taxi driver licensing: £4.4 million per annum
• Fleet management: £10.8 million per annum
• Abandoned Vehicles: £132,000 per annum

DVLA has already introduced some new digital services to provide this information but there is a lack of awareness and take-up across local government.

The findings presented in this document came out of a series of discovery and co-design events with local authorities, DCLG, DVLA and other key public sector stakeholders. They do not claim to be a precise indication of the savings to be made in these services, but simply a first step in identifying DVLA
data querying as an avenue worth pursuing that would deliver a significant return on investment.

Read the full PDF report below.