The organisation deals with tens of thousands of calls every day
The DVLA has announced changes over the Christmas and New Year period that will affect tens of thousands of motorists needing help with tax and licences. The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency’s contact centre, which handles at least 27 million calls annually according to gov.uk, will have reduced operating hours over the festive season.
The centre assists with a range of queries from vehicle taxation to driving licence applications and personalised registration transfers. The organisation fields around 60,000 calls in a single day, its own figures suggest.
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, opening hours will be shortened.
However, some days will maintain regular opening hours, and the DVLA assures customers that their online services will be available throughout the holiday period. These changes will commence on Tuesday, December 24, and continue until January 1, when normal opening hours will resume.
The DVLA contact centre’s opening hours over Christmas 2024 will of course allow staff a chance to get some time off over Christmas. Lancs Live has outlined the new hours that have been announced.
Normal service will operate on Monday, December 23, from 8am to 7pm. Then, on Christmas Eve, the centre will be open from 8am to 12pm, but it will be closed on Christmas Day and Boxing Day, resuming operations on Friday, December 27.
The opening hours will be from 8am to 5.30pm on that day. On Saturday, December 28, the service will operate its usual hours of 8am to 2pm.
The service will then be closed on Sunday, December 29, reopening on Monday, December 30 from 8am to 5.30pm. These hours will also apply on New Year’s Eve, December 31.
As we usher in 2025, the contact centre will remain closed on New Year’s Day with no operating hours. Normal service resumes on Thursday, January 2 with opening hours from 8am to 7pm, and this continues on Friday, January 3.
Regular opening hours of 8am to 2pm will be observed on Saturday, January 4.
