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UK government swaps paper car tax discs for its vast camera network

The paper car tax disc has had a very good innings, but it's finally come to the end of its life. Presented proudly by UK motorists for more than 90 years, those circular bits of paper have today officially been replaced by an electronic register. What does that mean for you? Well, you'll still need to pay for your tax the same way each year, but you'll no longer need to fix the disc to your windscreen, even if it's still yet to expire. Authorities can't now physically check you've paid, instead they'll fully rely on the hundreds of thousands of ANPR (automatic number plate recognition) cameras that adorn Britain's roads. Considering replacement tax discs (well, forgetting to renew them) cost British motorists more than £7 million a year, some might be glad to see them gone. However, the government now allows you to pay by direct debit and "velologists" (tax disc collectors) might pay a pretty penny to get their hands on one of the last ever discs, as long as you've kept it in top notch condition.

[Image credit: funfilledgeorgie, Flickr]