The Government is proposing the closure of 39 Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) regional commercial property offices, putting more than 1,200 jobs in jeopardy.
Roads Minister Mike Penning said the proposal which will now be consulted on “will make dealing with the DVLA easier and quicker for motorists and businesses.”
Ten of the 39 commercial property offices affected as a result of the proposal are also home to regional enforcement centres.
Under the Government proposals, more services will be moved online and the work done at the commercial property centres will be centralised at the DVLA’s headquarters in Swansea in South Wales.
The 39 commercial property offices are expected to close by the end of 2013, with a saving of around £28m a year.
The Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) said the proposal “makes no economic sense.”
The DVLA has been a Government agency since 1990 and holds driver and vehicle records. They employ a total of 6,116 staff, with 1,213 potentially affected by the proposed commercial office closures. Discussions with affected staff began on Tuesday. Advice regarding the proposal will be obtained from the Unions.
Mr Penning stated: “This is a major step change which will make dealing with the DVLA easier and quicker for motorists and businesses up and down the country.”
He further added: “Centralising the DVLA’s services is the first crucial step towards making more of its transactions available online, allowing people to deal with the DVLA at their chosen time and place. This will mean quicker turnarounds and meet our customer’s growing needs.”
Simon Tse, DVLA Chief Executive said: “The DVLA has been serving motorists for over 40 years in one form or another. But times change and customers’ needs change.”
He further added: “That is why it’s essential that we move with the times and make the best use of our services and experience to make sure we give the motor industry and the general public a service that is fit for the 21st century.”
As part of the planned changes, a varied range of services will be introduced in Northern Ireland.
Motorists there do not at present have access to all vehicle services which are available elsewhere, such as being able to tax vehicles online. The proposals affect all 39 of the regional commercial property offices the DVLA operates.
The commercial property offices are located in Birmingham, Bournemouth, Beverley in East Yorkshire, Bristol, Brighton, Chelmsford in Essex, Carlisle, Chester, Exeter, Ipswich, Lincoln, Leeds, Borehamwood in Hertfordshire, Wimbledon in south west London, Sidcup in south east London, Manchester, Maidstone in Kent, Newcastle upon Tyne, Norwich, Northampton, Nottingham, Oxford, Portsmouth, Preston, Peterborough, Shrewsbury, Sheffield, Stockton on Tees, Truro, Theale in Berkshire, Worcester, Cardiff, Bangor in Wales, Swansea, Aberdeen, Glasgow, Dundee, Inverness and Edinburgh.
The 39 regional offices partake in a range of administrative functions such as arranging vehicle inspections, trade plates for garages and personalised registration mark transfers.
The 10 regional enforcement commercial property centres carry out a range of back office tasks relating to the DVLA’s enforcement of offences, which include having no motor insurance, failure to tax vehicles and failing to tell the DVLA about vehicles being kept off the road.
Meanwhile last November, PCS claimed that it had learned of a plan to close 39 DVLA offices from a secret government document; however the DVLA said no decision had been made at the time.
The PCS said the plans would be “fiercely” resisted, with industrial action very likely.
Mark Serwotka, PCS general secretary said: “With unemployment and inflation remaining high, these cuts to local communities are outrageous and unnecessary, and will further weaken economies crying out for investment.”
He further added: “DVLA senior managers have previously denied this is what they were planning, so to announce it just two weeks before Christmas is insulting and devastating for staff.”
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