The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) clamped one car an hour in Dundee this week during a 24-hour crackdown on suspected road tax evaders.
Officials targeted two dozen tax dodgers in the city on Monday and Tuesday and applied clamps and left notices advising drivers.
The DD1, DD2 and DD3 postcode areas were visited by wardens from the DVLA’s national wheel clamping contractor.
The Courier was contacted by residents from Magdalen Yard and Perth roads after cars parked there were clamped.
A DVLA spokeswoman told The Courier they were committed to holding road tax evaders to account.
She said: “DVLA operates a comprehensive package of measures to ensure that vehicle tax is convenient to pay but very hard to avoid.
“Those who fail to tax their vehicles are subject to enforcement measures, ranging from automated penalties from the vehicle record through to direct enforcement action, such as the wheel clamping, impounding and, ultimately, disposal of the untaxed vehicle.”
According to Citizens Advice Scotland (CAB), local authorities and government agencies can clamp or tow vehicles in “exceptional cases”.
A CAB spokesperson: “The police, the local authority or the DVLA can clamp or get cars towed away on private land.
“They can also do this on roads or public land.”
Road users were previously required to display a valid tax disk on their vehicle. However, since October last year, authorities can check an electronic database that is automatically updated as to the status of vehicles.
It was claimed earlier this year that the change led to thousands of confused drivers not realising their car was not taxed.
According to figures, the number of cars clamped for tax infringements jumped from roughly 5,000 a month in October 2014 to more than 8,000 per month in April 2015.
The increase means that around 100,000 people will be clamped this year by the DVLA compared with 60,000 last year.
It is thought that the increase is due to changes in the way second-hand cars are taxed, with the DVLA now insisting new buyers have to tax vehicles, even if the previous owner’s tax still covers the car.
After urging drivers to get insurance or tax, those who don’t act are issued with a £100 fixed penalty notice and can be clamped.
Drivers who are clamped and who don’t pay within 24 hours will then have their car removed to a pound with a daily charge.