More Government Cutbacks

[w44nty]

I went down to my local DVLC branch in Norwich today,the lady told me that all local branches throughout the UK are being closed and all business would be done from Swansea.

We will all now be able to deal with an automated robot, at premium call charges,as for the local staff,more good people find themselves without a job.

And all this from a government who is going to drive down unemployment and get people working again,

What is the next election promise going to be,I know, "vote for us and we will make you all financially worse off"

[Paladin]

There is a proposal to close the local offices. The consultation period does not end until 20 March. Having said that, as savings have to be made and closing these offices is said to offer a saving of £28 million pounds, it may well be regarded as a fait accompli.

Even if (when?) they are closed, there does not appear to be any proposal to change the phone numbers. The Swansea and local office numbers are either 01 or 0300, which are NOT premium rate.

[littlesprite]

The sad fact is Government don't make cut backs, they have no money, they earn no money, therefore they can't save money.

All money the Government play with is ours, regardless of what tax or charge you like to name it's all our money and they simply spend it for us, increase the tax we pay and there is more money to spend.

Throw extra money at this or that and taxes have to rise to pay for it, how we decide what the money is spent on is another question based on our own preferences.

This is a problem of successive Governments since the 60's running down our manufacturing industries and therefore our ability to bring foreign money into Britain, instead we have borrowed from the IMF/EU and now have to suffer the consiquence.

[MY littleboat]

I've gotta say that having replaced my passport some years ago that the issue of a photo driving license is now absolutely straight forward in that your sdetails are picked up automatically from their server. Also I had to renew my HGV a couple of weeks ago, they had already sent me the renewal form and from the time I posted it back with my medical to the new license arriving - total 4 days.

In the defense of the DVLA, I do think they are doing a pretty good job, BUT, I do agree that this only suits those that are computer literate, and for those that aren't, the future is going to be an uphill struggle.

[Paladin]

To be honest, I've been driving for over 50 years and this is the first time I've heard of local DVLA offices. All my dealings have been by post or telephone to Swansea, so I rather disagree that computer illiteracy is a handicap in this context.

[Guest]

To be honest, I've been driving for over 50 years and this is the first time I've heard of local DVLA offices. All my dealings have been by post or telephone to Swansea, so I rather disagree that computer illiteracy is a handicap in this context.

I'd second that. Before I moved to Norfolk and found the Norwich local office, I'd always corresponded by post to Swansea, right back to the 60's.

Also, when I had to renew my photo license last year, I did the whole application in North Walsham Post Office, including them taking the photo, and the new license arrived after just 4 days.

[Dan]

I thought they were just closing a lot of them but not all, for now anyway.

Although I think ultimately you could run it all from one place until there are more changes they do provide some services which if every single local office disappeared would make it difficult to cover off by the current way of doing things, for example the services they provide to dealerships (albeit with the absence of any smile).

I think it is definately an area that can be run more efficiently and masses of local offices are not needed. Although its sad for anyone who works there the reality in my experiences (admiteddly only really with the Manchester branch) is they have provide a dated and poor level of service in an unpleasant manner for many years, so I will not be too worried to see change. I am not too sure it will be less convenient either, as with items such as cherished number transfers which they are often used for most offices will not do it whilst you wait, so the most sensible option (especially on a commercial basis) is to post the information in and to have it returned also by post. On such a basis it does not matter where the office you are posting it to is. Also more jobs will have to be located at the central point, though admittedly not as many as will be lost.

Dan

[thirdmate]

A saving of £28 million by closing local offices ????

How about stopping the stupid need to have everything to do with the DVLA translated into what is effectively a dead language.. Welsh

That would make more sense and save £££££'s

[mbird]

Before I moved to Norfolk and found the Norwich local office, I'd always corresponded by post to Swansea, right back to the 60's.

I've lived in Norwich for 13 years and didn't even know there was a local office! Can't say I'll miss is, but as it means inevitable job losses, that is a shame for those concerned.

[Guest]

but as it means inevitable job losses, that is a shame for those concerned.

Yes, it's always going to be a catch22 situation, usually the most effective way to cut overheads is by cutting staff, often enabled by new technology.

Yes, not very nice for those made redundant, but if the end result does reduce price increases, then far more people do benefit.....

[w44nty]

Yes, it's always going to be a catch22 situation, usually the most effective way to cut overheads is by cutting staff, often enabled by new technology.

Yes, not very nice for those made redundant, but if the end result does reduce price increases, then far more people do benefit.....

Thats a very big "IF"

I would expect taxes to rise again,they always seem to.

Its always the staff who suffer,losing their jobs.

Its the on line revolution

Probably Swansea will re-locate to India,there are plenty of call centres there

[Guest]

I would expect taxes to rise again,they always seem to.

That's probably quite true, the point though is that maybe they would have risen by a higher amount, without the payroll cuts.

Probably Swansea will re-locate to India,there are plenty of call centres there

I'm 100% against any call centres being relocated anywhere outside the UK.

There are few enough job opportunities here already, answering the phone must be something that can always be done here, even if the economics to manufacture anything has been lost....

[w44nty]

Perhaps the government should introduce a new intitative.

We give them ALL our money,they give us whats left!

Better to have nothing in this country

[mjt]

What's really annoyed me is, while Post Offices were (and are) being closed all over the country the government (and the previous NuLab one) have been systematically trying to take business away from them by encouraging DVLA to send out flyers with renewals to try to get people to renew on-line. At one time they were even offering a car in a prize draw for renewing on-line. Personally I've just carried on using the Post Office - use it or lose it. Another advantage is there's no risk of my new tax disk getting lost in the post.

One thing that's not been pointed out is that it's not just that staff lose their jobs. It also means you can no longer go and sort out a problem with someone face-to-face. Instead you spend time (and money) trying to find your way through an infernal telephone menu system, hanging on while being driven to distraction by inane music and finally being passed from pillar to post and probably not getting your problem sorted out.

[Paladin]

I know the DVLA is being discussed, but in the context of Government cutbacks, so I don’t really think I’m going off topic.

On-line communications are here to stay, for the foreseeable future anyway. How many town criers were put out of business by the introduction of newspapers; bow and arrow makers by the introduction of firearms? How far back do we want to go?

The BA has just introduced on-line renewal of tolls. It saves me the cost of postage (ever-increasing) and a trip to the post box, but is the BA to be blamed for the demise of Post Offices and Royal Mail as well?

Regarding call centres, four weeks ago I wrote letters to arrange for some pensions to be paid into a different bank account. Two occupational pensions were re-directed within a week. Two state pensions had still not been re-directed as of yesterday, so I rang the appropriate Pension Service office.

Without having to go through any menu whatsoever I was connected to a very pleasant ‘customer advisor’ who apologised for the delay and told me that it was their advice to ring in rather that write, as letters were automatically scanned and sorted into a queue, and could (would) take weeks to be dealt with. Within a few minutes, he had arranged the re-direction of both pensions.

In common with many other businesses, the telephone number began 0845. Oh, how I hate those numbers. I am not with BT and intensely dislike having to pay the premium that 0845 and 0870 numbers impose. For those who share my feelings, or who just want to save themselves a few bob, there is this very useful free site, http://www.saynoto0870.com/search.php from which geographical numbers (01, 02, 03) can frequently be discovered. As I pay a flat rate for all my calls to such numbers, I use it alot