1. Introduction

1.1 This chapter provides information about the numbers of road transport vehicles, such as new registrations, numbers licensed by taxation group and council area, ages, cylinder sizes, gross weights of heavy goods vehicles, and seating capacity of public transport vehicles. It also provides statistics of driving tests, driving licence holders, and households with regular use of a car.

1.2 The table numbers differ from those in previous editions of "Scottish Transport Statistics", due to the inclusion of three new tables in this chapter. The new tables are:-

Table 1.2 New registrations of "body type" cars in all taxation groups

Table 1.13 Full car driving licence holders by age

Table 1.14 Households with regular use of a car

1.3 In addition, Tables 1.1, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5 and 1.6 have been amended to show a slightly different breakdown from that published in previous editions.

2. Main Points

2.1 New vehicle registrations in 1997 were around 205,600, which was about 12% higher than in the previous year, when they were around 183,000. The 1997 total was the second highest number in the past 10 years: the highest being 1989 when there were some 212,600 new vehicle registrations. (Table 1.1)

2.2 New registrations of cars follow a similar pattern to that of all new vehicle registrations. New registrations of cars in 1997 were around 173,000, about 12% higher than the previous year, when they were about 154,000. (Table 1.2)

2.3 The total number of vehicles licensed was around 2,023,000 in 1997, 3% more than in the previous year and is estimated to be about 32% higher than the number in 1987. The number of private and light goods vehicles in 1996 was about 1,779,000, which is estimated to be roughly 34% higher than in 1987. The percentage changes since 1987 are estimates because of the effect of the introduction of a new source in 1992, as described in section 4 "Sources", below. (Table 1.3)

2.4 The average age of private and light goods vehicles increased slightly and reached 6.4 years in 1997. Historically the average age of private and light goods vehicles has been much lower in Scotland than Great Britain, and this continues to be the case. In 1997, the average age of these vehicles in Great Britain was 7.3 years. (Table 1.6)

2.5 Analysis of changes in the number of public transport vehicles are affected by changes in the arrangements for the taxation of those vehicles which have 8 or fewer seats. Considering only those public transport vehicles which have 9 or more seats, the number of smaller vehicles has increased substantially in recent years at the expense of a decrease in larger vehicles. Public transport vehicles with 16 to 32 seats have increased in number from 956 in 1987 to 2,239 in 1997. In contrast larger public transport vehicles, with 49-56 seats, have decreased in number from 3,001 in 1987 to 2,533 in 1997, a decrease of around 16%. (Table 1.9)

2.6 The percentage increase in the number of vehicles licensed was higher in 1997 in Scotland (2.9%) than in the rest of Great Britain (2.5%). The average growth rate in the number of vehicles licensed over the 10 years from 1987 to 1997 (after adjustment for the effect of the change of source) was 2.8% per annum in Scotland, compared with (an adjusted) 2.3% per annum in the rest of Great Britain. The growth rate was higher in Scotland than in GB in the years 1989 to 1992, and was lower in the years 1993 to 1996. (Table 1.10)

2.7 There were 39 vehicles licensed per 100 population in Scotland in 1997 compared with a rate of 48 in England and Wales in the same year. The gap between Scotland and England and Wales in the number of vehicles per head of population has remained stable over the last few years. In 1987 the vehicle rate was 31 per 100 population in Scotland compared with 41 in England and Wales: a ratio of 0.75, which rose to 0.82 by 1992. The ratio has remained at around that level up to 1997. (Table 1.11)

2.8 In 1985-86, about 49% of people aged 17 and over held a full car driving licence, increasing to 62% in 1993-96. The latest figures show that around three-quarters of people aged 21-49 hold a full car driving licence. (Table 1.13)

2.9 The percentage of Scottish households with regular use of a car has increased from 51% in 1987, to 58% in 1991, and 62% in 1996. (Table 1.14)

3. Notes and Definitions

3.1 Motor Vehicles: There are two types of classification of motor vehicles:-

(a) "Taxation Group": this classification is based on the amount of tax placed on a motor vehicle according to its `vehicle type' e.g. `Private and light goods', `Public transport', `Goods' etc; and

(b) "Body Type": this classification is based on the `look' of a vehicle e.g. "Body type" `cars' covers all cars, including those which are exempt from tax.

3.2 Private and Light Goods Vehicles: the bulk of this group consists of private cars (whether owned by individuals or companies) and vans and light goods vehicles (goods vehicles which do not exceed 3,500 kgs gross weight). The group also contains a number of other types of vehicle including private buses and coaches, private heavy goods vehicles, and some vehicles which before 1 July 1995 were taxed in a specialised taxation class but which now fall into the PLG group.

3.3 Motorcycles: no distinction is made between motorcycles, scooters and mopeds for taxation purposes, and therefore "motorcycles" includes all two wheeled vehicles.

3.4 Public Transport: all vehicles classified for taxation in class 34 - Bus (introduced 1 July 1995). These are vehicles used for public conveyance, with more than 8 seats. Prior to 1 July 1995 public transport vehicles were taxed in class 35 Hackney, used similarly for public transportation but with no lower limit on seating capacity. Buses and coaches not licensed for public conveyance, and operated and used privately, are excluded and are classified for excise licensing with private and light goods. Taxis and private hire cars are now included in the private and light goods group.

3.5 Goods Vehicles: the totals for this group (goods vehicles which exceed 3,500 kgs gross weight) for the earlier years include both the now-discontinued formerly separate "Farmers Goods" and "General Goods" groups, which were shown separately in previous editions of "Scottish Transport Statistics".

3.6 Crown and Exempt Vehicles: the `exempt' vehicles include a number of distinct sub-groups and classes, of which the most important are: `Emergency vehicles', `Disabled driver and disabled passenger carrying vehicles', `Vehicles now over 25 years of age previously in PLG, motorcycle or tricycle tax groups', and `Personal export and direct export vehicles'.

3.7 Special Concessions: this group of vehicles pays Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) at £40 per annum, and includes agricultural tractors, combine harvesters, and mowing machines. This taxation class also includes electric vehicles, gritting vehicles and snow ploughs, and steam powered vehicles.

3.8 Special Vehicles: this group consists of vehicles over 3,500 kgs which do not pay VED as heavy goods vehicles nor qualify for taxation in the special concessionary group. Vehicles in this group include road rollers, work trucks, digging machines and mobile cranes.

3.9 Households With Regular Use of a Car: the term car is used for all three or four wheeled vehicles with car body type, and also light vans, land rovers, dormobile and motorcaravans. Such vehicles are regarded as household cars if they are either owned by a member of the household, or available

for the private use of household members. Vehicles used only for the carriage of goods, as public service passenger vehicles, or solely for hire by other people are excluded. Company cars provided by an employer for the use of a particular employee (or director) are included, but cars borrowed temporarily from a company pool are not.

4. Sources

4.1 Numbers of vehicles: DVLA Vehicle censuses and DETR Vehicle Information Database

4.1.1 Censuses based entirely on the record of licensed vehicles at the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) began on 31 December 1978 and subsequent counts were taken on the last day of each year up to and including 31 December 1992. The statistics were a by product of the administration of vehicle licensing and the classes shown in the tables correspond in the main to taxation classes. In 1992 the source of this information changed to the Vehicle Information Database (VID) held by what is now the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions (DETR). The results conform to the same definitions as earlier vehicle censuses, but, for technical reasons, are considered slightly more reliable than earlier estimates. Some vehicles have complicated licensing histories, that may include incidents such as cheques failing to clear, changes of taxation status, late payments, and one or more valid or invalid refund claims. The VID undertakes a more detailed examination of licensing history than earlier vehicle censuses analyses and is therefore able to provide better estimates of licensed stock.

4.1.2 The net effect of the change to the VID as the main source of statistics on currently licensed stock was to produce a small reduction in the estimated levels of licensed stock. The difference between the two sources can be broadly estimated from statistics for 1992 which are available from both the old and new sources and are given in Table 1.10. The VID figures for all vehicles licensed are 2.4% lower for Scotland and 3.1% lower for England and Wales. To estimate the growth in licensed vehicles over the longer term, these changes should be used to adjust the apparent vehicle growths calculated from figures which are on different bases pre- and post-1992.

4.1.3 The figures include all vehicles which pay tax and certain vehicles which are exempt. The exempt vehicles are described in section 3.6. The figures exclude vehicles registered by the armed forces, or as personal or direct export and trade licences issued to manufacturers, and repairers of and dealers in motor vehicles.

4.2 Number of Vehicles: Taxation class changes in the period covered by the tables

4.2.1 From 1 October 1990, goods vehicles less than 3,500 kgs gross vehicle weight were transferred from the "Goods Vehicle" taxation class to the "Private and Light Goods" class. Farmers' and showmen's goods vehicles of more than 1,525 kgs unladen weight, but less than 3,500 kgs gross vehicle weight were transferred to the "Light Goods Farmers" and "Light Goods Showmen's" taxation classes.

4.2.2 In 1995 there were major reforms of the vehicle taxation system. The bulk of the changes came into operation on 1 July 1995, but some additional changes were introduced on 29 November 1995. The intention was to remove many of the complications in the existing taxation structure, using a strategy to link Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) rates for many directly to the rate for the private and light goods group (PLG), or the basic minimum rate for heavy goods vehicles (HGVs). One measure to help achieve this was the creation of three "umbrella" taxation groups:-

An emergency vehicles group - exempt from VED.

A special concessionary group, including agricultural machines, snow ploughs, gritting vehicles, electric vehicles and, later, steam powered vehicles, paying VED, at current rates, of £40 per annum, or one quarter of the annual PLG rate.

A special vehicles group, limited to vehicles over 3500 kgs, including mobile cranes, works trucks, digging machines, showmen's vehicles, etc, paying VED at a rate equivalent to the basic minimum rate for HGVs, currently £160.

4.2.3 In addition, the goods vehicle taxation system was itself considerably simplified by the abolition of separate goods vehicle classes for farmers and showmen. All remaining goods vehicle taxation classes were also abolished and vehicles in those groups transferred to the PLG class. At the same time, the basis for calculation of excise duty for goods vehicles was amended to "revenue weight". Revenue weight means either "confirmed maximum gross weight" as determined by plating and testing regulations, or "design weight" for vehicles not subject to plating and testing (formerly known as Restricted HGVs).

4.2.4 The process also included further simplifications and "tidying" arrangements. These included cases in which vehicles not over 3500 kgs gross weight were removed into the private and light goods taxation class rather than remaining in specialised taxation classes and groups, and the re-allocation of some tax classes into more appropriate groups. One key change of a similar type was to abolish the separate taxation of public transport vehicles with eight seats or fewer, and tax all such vehicles in the PLG class. From start of July 1995 bigger public transport vehicles were taxed in a new "bus" taxation class. The changes were completed by the introduction in the November 1995 budget of a new exempt class for vehicles over 25 years of age previously in the private and light goods or motorcycle groups.

4.2.5 In general, the process of implementing these changes was gradual, and vehicles were allowed to remain in their current class until a new tax disk was required, whereupon they were transferred into other groups and classes as appropriate. Since tax disks may run for up to a year, some vehicles remained legitimately taxed in abolished groups at the end of 1995. That process was effectively complete by the end of 1996, but users of taxation and stock statistics for the years 1995 and later years should take special care to ensure they are aware of the changes and the methods by which vehicles were re-allocated to other groups.

4.3 Numbers of vehicles: Analysis by local government areas

4.3.1 The only such information easily obtainable from vehicle records held by DVLA is the postcode of the registered keeper of the vehicle. Until 1995 this information was used by DVLA to allocate the vehicle to the local government region in which the registered keeper lived. With the 1996 re-organisation of local authorities in Scotland, local government area analyses required major revisions. This was achieved by use of the most recently available postcode directory, which, when used in conjunction with the vehicle information database, allowed vehicle stocks to be estimated for the areas covered by new local authorities.

4.4 Numbers of new registrations of vehicles

4.4.1 The numbers of new registrations of vehicles of various taxation class types have been obtained by DETR from DVLA. Unfortunately, in recent years, a number of factors, such as changes to taxation classes and local government reorganisation, have affected the DVLA computer system that is used to produce these figures, and it cannot provide the exact numbers of new registrations for each taxation class for Scotland for 1995 and later years. The Scottish figures that appear here were estimated by DETR, using post town area data, and are therefore subject to a small percentage margin of error.

4.5 National Travel Survey

4.5.1 Information about the National Travel Survey is given in chapter 12.

5. Further Information

5.1 Further information on GB motor vehicle licensing statistics can be found in the annual DETR publications "Transport Statistics Great Britain", and "Vehicle Licensing Statistics".

5.2 Enquiries regarding the statistics should be directed as follows:

Motor vehicle licensing (Tables 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6, 1.7, 1.8, 1.9, 1.10, 1.11):

Mr Darren Williams, Dept of Environment, Transport and the Regions (Tel: 0171 890 6386)

Driving licence tests and DVLA receipts (Table 1.12)

Applications, tests concluded & passes - Stewart Bembridge, Driving Standards Agency
(Tel: 0115 955 7600)

Vehicle licences - Mr Ian Richards, DVLA (Tel: 01792 783087)

Driving licences - Ms Meinir Davies, DVLA (Tel: 01792 783088)

Driving licence holders and households with regular use of a car (Tables 1.13 to 1.14)

Barbara Noble, Dept of Environment, Transport and the Regions (Tel:0171 890 6594)