3 Digital strategy
Digital
services
22. "Digital by default" services are defined
by the Government's digital strategy as:
digital services which are so straightforward
and convenient that all those who can use digital services will
choose to do so, while those who can't are not excluded.[49]
Each Government Department and agency is expected
to prepare and publish its own departmental digital strategy.
The DfT and its motoring agencies are actively involved in the
digital transformation of services. The DVLA has developed three
of the Government's 25 digital "exemplar services" enabling
customers to:
· view
their driving record (in betatested by the public);
· apply for a
number plate (in alphatested only internal and by stakeholders);
and
· transfer ownership
of a car online (in beta).[50]
This is in addition to the number of other digital
services provided by the motoring agencies over the past few years,
including those mentioned below. These are easily accessible on
the gov.uk website.[51]
23. Uptake of the agencies' digital services is very
high. 96% of all new vehicle registrations are done through the
Automated First Registration and Licensing (AFRL) system, which
enables manufacturers and new car dealers to pass vehicle and
keeper details electronically to DVLA; and 97% of driving theory
tests and 94% of driving practical tests were booked online in
2013-14.[52] Oliver Morley,
Chief Executive, DVLA, said over half of the DVLA's 100 million
transactions each year were online.[53]
He argued that the DVLA had a 'multi-channel' rather than digital-by-default
approach. This means that for some services traditional forms
of delivering the servicethe Post Office already provides
access to a number of motoring services on behalf of the DVLA[54]would
continue alongside newly designed digital channels. He expected
the DVLA would continue to handle a considerable number of transactions
through the Post Office (over 20 million motoring service transactions
are carried out by the Post Office annually, about 20% of all
DVLA transactions).[55]
Alastair Peoples, Chief Executive of the DVSA, said the DVSA also
had a multi-channel approach.[56]
24. The AA said its members were very happy with
the motoring agencies' digital channels, in particular payment
of vehicle excise duty (VED, often referred to as 'car tax') renewal.[57]
John Lepine, general manager of the Motor Schools Association
of Great Britain, told us the DVSA provided "a really good
service online".[58]
These positive observations were confirmed by a January 2012 AA-Populus
poll of over 20,000 people which found that:
· 83%
had used online services;
· 87% rated DVLA
online services as good or very good; and
· 87% supported
delivery of services online. [59]
25. However the same AA-Populus survey pointed to
a recurring theme: concern about digital exclusion. It found that:
· 50%
would oppose 'only online' services; and
· 53% would oppose
third parties carrying out DVLA services (31% would strongly oppose).[60]
26. John Lepine echoed these concerns about access:
he said that the DVSA did not give enough detail of non-digital
access routes to services and this risked those who, for whatever
reason, did not wish to engage with the DVLA digitally being excluded
from various processes.[61]
He went on to say:
driving instructors by the nature of what
they do are practical people who teach real people to drive real
cars. They do not have computers sitting on their knee all day.
Therefore, in many cases they are not digitally aware.[62]
He noted that broadband access might be a problem
in some areas and that some people preferred not to use online
services. The AA said care was needed to avoid disenfranchising
those who "lack [digital] connectivity".[63]
The FTA wanted digital services to be designed with the needs
of business users in mind.[64]
The Department noted that the agencies offered a variety of options
to access their services, with digital options being the most
popular.[65]
27. The Government is embracing a 'digital first'
policy and clearly the motoring agencies are well engaged with
this approach, which should be welcomed on the grounds of convenience
and cost. The Government told us that the digital services provided
by the motoring agencies are popular and assisted digital services
are available for those with no or limited access to digital channels.
[66] An example
of an assisted digital service is the DVSA's provision, in its
replacement for the current Operator Licensing System, for a member
of staff to complete an application over the phone for an applicant.[67]
Digital services must cater for all users not just individual
motorists and the agencies' assisted digital strategies must help
and support those who cannot access services online. The
Department needs to ensure that its motoring agencies have viable
plans for assisted access, which recognise the distinct needs
of individuals and businesses. The motoring agencies must ensure
a good standard of accessibility to their services is provided
to users who are unable to benefit from investment in digital
services. They should also monitor outcomes and customer feedback
to ensure that their assisted digital strategies are working.
Extending digital services
28. We heard several suggestions for how digital
services could be further developed. The Motor School Association
of Great Britain called on the DVSA to provide an online booking
service for Approved Driving Instructors standards checks. Jay
Parmar, legal and policy director of the British Vehicle Rental
and Leasing Association, gave the example of transfer of ownership,
which for fleet operators can be a significant cost to industry;
businesses in the rental and leasing sector have to send annually
by paper five items for every single vehicle that is disposed
of (about 1 million vehicles every year are disposed of).[68]
This is one of the "exemplar services" that is being
developed as a digital service.[69]
Fourdot Affinity Ltd called for improvements to number plate proof-of-entitlement
and secure, validated on-line plate purchase.[70]
29. Some of the services provided by the motoring
agencies require a physical presence at the roadside, at operators'
premises or in a specialist testing facility[71]
and there are limits to how far services can be moved online.
For example, what can be done on the internet with driving licence
applications is limited by difficulties in assuring identity.[72]
Clearly driver and vehicle testing require a physical presence.
But there are always elements of administration associated with
these services that could deliver cost and time savings if they
were delivered online, such as appointment and test bookings.
30. Digital services are clearly popular and they
have the potential to reduce costs for the taxpayer, motorists
and businesses. We recognise the need for the multi-channel approach
that the agencies are adopting; and lessons learned from the progress
made so far should inform the planning and roll-out of new digital
services. Concerns about digital exclusion and access to services
for people who cannot use online services are valid. The move
to digital provision and recent organisational changes (for example,
the closure of DVLA local branches) have the potential to make
access to some services much more difficult and costly for certain
groups of people and some businesses. The Department and
the agencies need to show how they are addressing these concerns
and what steps they are taking to ensure that there is alternative
provision for those unable or unwilling to use digital services,
especially in the context of changes to local networks and branches.
The Department should also consider the extent to which reliance
on the Post Office and other providers is an adequate means of
dealing with digital exclusion. In addition, digital services
must work seamlessly with those that will continue to require
some degree of physical presence.
Copycat websites
31. The existence of non-Government websites that
charge a fee for services available free of charge on official
websites without adding any value can mislead motorists into thinking
they are using an official website, causing them to incur unexpected
and unnecessary charges. In 2011 the Advertising Standards Authority
found a website offering to book driving tests was misleading
and contained unsubstantiated claims, and that a company offering
to book driving tests online could mislead customers into thinking
they were dealing with the DSA (now part of the DVSA). In November
2013 it ruled that a website was misleading in that it implied
a connection between the company operating the website and the
DVLA that did not exist.[73]
The AA has seen an increase in complaints about 'impersonator
websites' charging for free Government motoring agency services
such as applying for a driving test or driving licences. It recognised
a case for services that added some value'checking services'
or 'fast track services'.[74]
But it said the Government agencies appeared to co-exist with
alternative, unofficial 'service providers'. The AA thought it
"almost immoral that [such sites] can ply a trade that basically
tricks people".[75]
They called for the agencies to be much tougher where they had
an official relationships with such websites. John Lepine suggested
this was a bigger problem for the DVSA than the DVLA.[76]
Leon Daniels noted thousands of people were paying the congestion
charge via a third party website that charged extra.[77]
Transport for London wanted the DVLA to send letters to those
drivers identified as having used an unofficial website to pay
the Congestion Charge.[78]
The DVLA was initially reluctant but has since changed its position;
TfL and the DVLA are working to finalise a letter that will be
sent to drivers who have paid unnecessary charges and directing
them to the official website to pay the Congestion Charge.[79]
TfL is consulting on a proposal that it should refuse to accept
payments from copycat websites or other unauthorised third-parties.[80]
The Government has stated that it has taken "decisive steps"
against misleading websites acting as a middleman between the
DVLA and the public, by raising awareness and enforcement actions.[81]
The DVLA has sought to advise the public through Twitter, the
official Government website, the press, and through its own forms,
leaflets and envelopes, that they may be charged an additional
fee if they do not use the gov.uk website.[82]
32. The problem of misleading websites goes beyond
the Department and its agencies, and Ministers have stated that
the Government Digital Service, part of the Cabinet Office, is
leading cross-departmental efforts to address the problem. The
GDS tracks the activity of such sites, and shares this information
with Google, and other search engines, so they can identify and
take action against "websites that add little or no value
to existing online Government services".[83]
The National Trading Standards Board has also received an additional
£120,000 in funding to "clamp down on misleading websites".[84]
33. Misleading copycat websites are an issue for
many Government services.[85]
The Department for Transport and its agencies cannot solve the
problem in isolation and their efforts must be backed by effective
cross-departmental action; the Government Digital Service, Advertising
Standards Agency, trading standards bodies and search engine providers
all have a role to play.[86]
Motorists who choose to use a 'reviewing and forwarding' service
should be free to do so and the providers of such services may
not be doing anything illegal. It is illegal to deliberately
mislead the public or obtain money by fraud; the agencies providing
services on behalf of the Government should do everything practicable
to prevent users of their services from being misled or becoming
the victims of fraud. Transport for London's agreement
with the DVLA to alert drivers using unofficial websites is an
interesting model that the Department should evaluate to see how
well the approach works and whether it can be extended to other
services. It will be important to understand how much any alternative
approach costs to administer, what effect it may have on fees
for users of services and whether it results in fewer motorists
using unofficial sites. In such an evaluation it will be important
for the Department to consider the effect of the scheme on unofficial
operators and any unintended consequences for legitimate providers
of value-added services. We also ask the GDS to provide specific
details of its progress so far in identifying and alerting search
engines to misleading websites offering services to motorists,
and to report on what enforcement action has been taken against
such sites.
49 Cabinet Office, Government Digital Strategy,
November 2012, p.5 Back
50
Gov.uk, Digital Transformation [accessed 1 September 2014] Back
51
Gov.uk, Driving and transport, [accessed 1 September 2014] Back
52
Department for Transport (GMA0010) Back
53
Q112 Back
54
Post Office Limited (GMA0019), para 3.1 Back
55
Q119 [Mr Morley] and Post Office Limited (GMA0019), para 3.1 Back
56
Q119 [Mr Peoples] Back
57
Automobile Association (GMA0006) Back
58
Q33 Back
59
Automobile Association (GMA0006) Back
60
Automobile Association (GMA0006) Back
61
The Motor Schools Association of Great Britain (GMA0013) Back
62
Q47 Back
63
Automobile Association (GMA0006) Back
64
Freight Transport Association (GMA0015) Back
65
Department for Transport (GMA0010) Back
66
Department for Transport (GMA0010) Back
67
Department for Transport (GMA0010) Back
68
Q49 [Jay Parmar] Back
69
Gov.uk, Digital Transformation [accessed 1 September 2014] Back
70
Fourdot Affinity Ltd (GMA0008) Back
71
Q93 Back
72
Q113 Back
73
ASA rulings [accessed 01 September 2014] Back
74
Automobile Association (GMA0006) Back
75
Automobile Association (GMA0006) Back
76
Q53 Back
77
Q107 Back
78
Transport for London (GMA0025) Back
79
Transport for London (GMA0025) Back
80
Transport for London, Have your say on the proposed improvements to the way you pay the Congestion Charge,
August 2014 [accessed 1 September
2014] Back
81
HL Deb, 6 May 2014, cols 345WA Back
82
HL Deb, 6 May 2014, cols 345WA Back
83
HC Deb, 10 March 2014, cols 54W Back
84
HL Deb, 6 May 2014, cols 345WA Back
85
House of Commons Library, Standard Note, SN/HA/6826, Websites charging for Government services,
17 Feb 2014 Back
86
House of Commons Library, Standard Note, SN/HA/6826, Websites charging for Government services,
17 Feb 2014 Back
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