Technical glitch crashes new DVLA tax renewal website

Technical gremlins have caused the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency's (DVLA) new online vehicle licensing service to crash under the high volume of users trying to renew their tax discs.

The DVLA site has been struggling to cope with the number of users for the last couple of days while those phoning up instead have been met with a recorded message citing "circumstances beyond our control".

One silicon.com reader said he had been trying for two days without success to renew his tax disc online. The site spluttered all morning today before crashing completely just before lunchtime.

The home page is now displaying the message: "I am sorry the service is currently unavailable due to essential maintenance."

The message advises people to try a local licence-issuing Post Office instead.

The site is part of the DVLA's electronic vehicle relicensing project aimed at meeting the government's target of putting services online by 2005.

It is also one of the first projects to be delivered using using a joint DVLA and IBM team. It was based on a business case estimating a take-up rate of 39 per cent and it is estimated that when it is fully available it will handle up to 39 million re-licensing transactions a year over the internet and phone.

The service currently links to the motor insurance database to validate insurance and will shortly involve linking to a number of other external databases including the new MOT computerisation database and the Department for Work and Pensions’ Veterans Agency disability allowance databases.

A spokesman for the DVLA said the site has been experiencing technical difficulties and that it is being investigated with the "highest priority".

"Whilst acknowledging the difficulties and apologising to those customers affected, over 30,000 people have successfully transacted using the new service this month," he said.