Finding the cash for a vehicle licence is a hefty undertaking for drivers who do not have much money.

So it's galling for motorists in Kemp Town in Brighton to find scores of untaxed cars in the streets.

Parking attendants are doing a good job in penalising drivers who leave their cars on double-yellow lines or residents' bays.

But they can't do anything about the untaxed cars, which are the responsibility of the DVLA.

Sometimes this authority works with the police and the city council to have a blitz on cars.

But this does not happen often enough. Most motorists who are tax dodgers know they can get away with not paying for months or even years.

More efforts are needed by the DVLA to identify the dodgers and make sure they pay in the same way as everyone else.

By doing this, the streets will also be cleared of some cars which have probably been abandoned.

But in the long term it might be better to jettison this form of car taxation, which is not working properly.

Getting rid of car licence taxation and putting the money on petrol instead would be more efficient and would help drivers who use their cars sparingly.