The DVLA has announced changes over the Christmas and New Year period that will affect tens of thousands of motorists. The alterations to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency’s contact centre hours could impact drivers during the festive season needing help with things like tax and driving licences.
The contact centre, which handles at least 27 million calls annually according to gov.uk, deals with a range of queries from vehicle taxation assistance to driving licence applications and personalised vehicle registration number transfers. In a typical single day in 2016, for example, the organisation said it fielded nearly 60,000 calls.
Now, for several days, drivers will have fewer hours to make calls, and on some days, they won’t be able to call at all. On certain days, the service will be completely closed, while on others, the opening hours will be reduced.
However, some days will see regular opening hours maintained. The DVLA assures customers that their online services will be available throughout the Christmas and New Year period.
These changes will commence on Tuesday, December 24, and continue until January 1, reports Lancs Live. Normal opening hours (8am to 7pm) will apply on Monday, December 23.
On Christmas Eve, the centre will be open from 8am to 12pm. The service will then be closed on Christmas Day and Boxing Day, resuming on Friday, December 27.
The service will operate from 8am to 5.30pm on that day. On Saturday, December 28, the opening hours will be the usual for that day – 8am to 2pm.
The service will then close on Sunday, December 29, and reopen on Monday, December 30, operating from 8am to 5.30pm. These hours will also apply on New Year’s Eve, December 31.
The contact centre will remain closed with no services available on New Year’s Day. Normal service resumes on Thursday, January 2, with opening hours from 8am to 7pm.
This schedule will continue on Friday, January 3. Regular opening hours of 8am to 2pm will be observed on Saturday, January 4.