A group of BVRLA members became one of the first organisations to meet with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) to discuss the abolition of the paper tax disc.

Delegates representing 18 rental and leasing companies received clarity from the DVLA about the practicalities and benefits of the new system which comes into force on October 1, 2014.

DVLA head of vehicle policy Lianne Parkinson said: “There’s no one-size-fits-all solution, but the DVLA would like suggestions from commercial operators to take back to the Treasury. Meeting with BVRLA members is the first of many steps to ensure a smooth transition.”

Issues discussed at the meeting included the non-transferability of vehicle excise duty paid and the proposed direct debit system.

Members welcomed the planned auto-refund scheme, and were able to raise their concerns about a number of other issues.

BVRLA Legal and Policy Director Jay Parmar said: “We had a good meeting with the DVLA and explored the key changes which will take place once the tax disc is abolished.”

The DVLA has committed to holding more engagement events with rental and leasing companies before October, while the BVRLA will be producing guidance for businesses in due course.

Parmar added: “We will now be working closely with the DVLA and our members to develop a communication plan to help ensure that drivers are happy that vehicles are taxed after 1 October.”

The DVLA used the event to highlight how the tax disc’s status has changed in the past decade. Some 60% of applications for VED are now made online, and compliance with VED stands at 99.4%, due to ongoing education and enforcement.