Foreign Resident Drivers

kluivert

Does anyone know what the story is with foreign people who are resident in this country, driving foreign LHD cars without having to Re-register them like everyone else.

Am talking about East Europeans. I was driving through Dundalk town centre over the June Bank holiday and came up behind two foreign reg cars packed with foreigners drinking acolohol ann hanging out the windows, including the driver. I was amazed when they got a bit futher on through the town, they passed a Garda car on the opposite side of the road. The Garda's never moved an inch. Are they immunined to our legal system??

I dont give a damn about the drunken driver, my concern was for the person who he might hit. But i still cant get over the fact the Garda's done nothing, totally blanked the situation. If it was me or you, we would have our court day arranged within 24 hours.

Has anyone else noticed this? You probably have if your from South Monaghan - Dundalk Region.

mike65

Anyone can see the numbers of LHD cars around this weathr and of variable quality too - some very slick looking BMWs around and some dog-eared Pugeots too.! These guys are mainly on short contract work I suspect so don't have to register vehiles unles they are staying more than 6 months
if I recall right. There is no doubt lefties are a safety issue last week I was
a cars behind such a car who was behind a truck, naturally the driver could'nt see a sausage but the guy behind him could so as we hit a straight
he started to pull wide but so did the leftie so his passenger could "sneak a look" luckily they did'nt meet as the lefty jumped back across and the other chap went past. Still a close enough thing on narrow Irish raods.

Mike.

kluivert

I had one over take me right before a blind corner and there was a car coming around it, i slamed my brakes on as the leftie pulled straight into were i should have been and then drove off at high speed.

I didnt realise it but my girlfriend was in her car about five cars behind me and the leftie pulled the same type of overtaking move on her as well.

I dont care where they come from, they can f**k back there if they want to drive like that.

But my point is why cant the Garda's do anything. Anyone ever been to Carrickmacross in Monaghan. Honestly i drove through it one day and there was more leftie than irish cars.

camarobill

naas cop shop is full of cars takein of them,try finding one that hasent got blacked out windows

Kermitt

My gf lives in lucan and the Lidl car park is full of em too. Many of them have been around a year or more and haven't re registered. Mostly perfomance/ high end cars (BMW 540i, VW vento GT (not sold here) and Audi Quattro to name 3 regulars) I think the trouble Gardaí have is proving residency, so they don't bother

halkar

I have seen many of them around my town, some have been going around more than 2 years. I keep my distance from LHDs as I doubt they are insured. Happened to one of my neighbours, he was rear ended and turned out the guy had no insurance to cover him, he is still waiting for repairs. :mad:

unkel

Kermitt wrote:

My gf lives in lucan and the Lidl car park is full of em too. Many of them have been around a year or more and haven't re registered. Mostly perfomance/ high end cars (BMW 540i, VW vento GT (not sold here) and Audi Quattro to name 3 regulars) I think the trouble Gardaí have is proving residency, so they don't bother

Pretty much. I live in Lucan and it's got to have about the highest new 10 EU country nationals density in the country. Indeed many E34s and Audi and VW saloons, invariably with blacked out windows. And yes, they are insured but one wonders what the cover amounts to and no, they obviously don't pay motor tax

Don't get me wrong, these people have every right to live and work in Ireland. In fact we would refuse the work they do. When was the last time you were served in a pub, restaurant, petrol station by anyone Irish? How about unskilled factory work?

The Gardai are not touching them....yet

Mike, it is more realistic to assume they are here for more than 6 months, so they should register and tax their cars here

Interesting new development (article in the Irish Times about two weeks ago - link anyone?) is that the Revenue Commissioners have recently started pushing the Gardai to tackle VRT / Motor tax fraud on residents with foreign reg cars. The first tranch of effort was aimed at newish high value cars

Yes, with BritPlates, don't we all know it :rolleyes:

The average amount collected per car was in the order of €30,000 :eek:

Nice one!

Curran

unkel wrote:

Interesting new development (article in the Irish Times about two weeks ago - link anyone?) is that the Revenue Commissioners have recently started pushing the Gardai to tackle VRT / Motor tax fraud on residents with foreign reg cars.

Wasnt that he article that they said the Guards were out to get the guys with the "dodgy number plate" (the ones with fancy writing and different colours)

unkel wrote:

The first tranch of effort was aimed at newish high value cars.

Isn't that always the case with Irish Departments......get most of the (easy) money as fast as possible!

Get 80% of the money in 20% of the time........and then leave it on the back burner :rolleyes:

They can never do anything right!

IDMUD

I am a foreigner living in Dublin and I brought my car with me.

You are correct that we don't have to register our cars in ROI as long as they have valid insurance somewhere else in europe. I took out an extra "out of country" insurance on my Impreza as I left Sweden. The insurance is valid for one year after which it has to be renewed. I should also add that it is if full coverage. Paying Irish insurance would be pure stupidity as it would cost me five or six times as much!

I've also been waved through a couple of garda checkpoints where others have been stopped, for what reason I don't know. One time they did stop me to check my licsense, I didn't have to show proof of insurance though.

As for overtaking, who can overtake someone in traffic this dense? >:(

Curran

IDMUD wrote:

As for overtaking, who can overtake someone in traffic this dense? >:(

There are a few out there that try it! :rolleyes:

IDMUD

Curran wrote:

There are a few out there that try it! :rolleyes:

Seriously though, overtaking isn't that much of a problem. Keep back far enough and you'll be able to see more of the road ahead. It also helps to have a semi-powerful car

Curran

IDMUD wrote:

Seriously though, overtaking isn't that much of a problem. Keep back far enough and you'll be able to see more of the road ahead. It also helps to have a semi-powerful car

I know how to overtake...........dont be telling me :rolleyes:


I only have a 1.4.........with an engine that small....overtaking becomes a skill....not like having a 2LT which is just too easy

Curran

Curran wrote:

There are a few out there that try it! :rolleyes:

I meant.....there are a few who would try it in traffic.....overtaking that is!

IDMUD

Curran wrote:

I meant.....there are a few who would try it in traffic.....overtaking that is!

That's the real problem, changing to the right (overtaking) lane. The C-pillar blocks most of your vision to your right-rear. It's the biggest problem I've come across so far, merging the m50 is a horror!

vector

IDMUD wrote:

...I've also been waved through a couple of garda checkpoints where others have been stopped, for what reason I don't know...

The reason is effort, as a non-national in a foreign vehicle the paperwork is too much, even if you had no tax/insurance (and whatever else if required in your country or origin) the effort is too great, plus it is expected that you would suddenly "forget" how to speak english

However if an EU-10 car is involved in a newsworthy accident then suddenly there will be a "crackdown"

BTW I saw a CZ Audi 100 today like this
http://dimg.163.com/auto/2004/02/27/BILD72.JPG

Curran

IDMUD wrote:

It's the biggest problem I've come across so far, merging the m50 is a horror!

Well it doesnt really help when the idiots in the lane you are trying to merge into wont change lanes or wont give you a gap to slot into! :mad:

ando

have to say, I give FN's a wide birth when driving infront or behind them

peasant

IDMUD

just to clarify:
Any car that is brought into this country other than for a visit has to be registered here. That means of course that it also has to be insured here, because your Swedish insurance wouldn't insure you any more.

The only exceptions are made for Students and contract workers who don't stay longer than 6 months.

IDMUD

peasant wrote:

IDMUD

just to clarify:
Any car that is brought into this country other than for a visit has to be registered here. That means of course that it also has to be insured here, because your Swedish insurance wouldn't insure you any more.

The only exceptions are made for Students and contract workers who don't stay longer than 6 months.

Like i said earlier, my insurance is valid for up to a year, this is not something regulated by the country you are visiting.

Ernie Ball

IDMUD wrote:

Like i said earlier, my insurance is valid for up to a year, this is not something regulated by the country you are visiting.

Uh, no, it's not. But Ireland requires that anyone but a visitor register their car in Ireland.

From: http://www.oasis.gov.ie/moving_country/moving_to_ireland/importing_car_into_ireland.html :

'Every motor vehicle in the State, (with the exception of vehicles brought in temporarily by a visitor), must be registered with the Revenue Commissioners.'

Though it's not clear what is meant by a 'visitor,' I'd say that someone living and working here doesn't count.

Therefore, you are obliged to register your car here, pay VRT and motor tax, etc. In which case, you'll probably have to insure it here too.

As an immigrant myself, I'd be the last one to express any of the generalised anti-immigrant feeling that is out there. But it seems to me that those who come here to benefit from what Ireland has to offer (jobs mostly, let's be honest) ought to play by the rules.

IDMUD

Well, as long as my insurance is valid I'll take my chances. Besides there's no record of when the vehicle was brought into the country.

And benefiting from Ireland is like benefiting from a swift kick to the balls.

mike65

IDMUD wrote:

Well, as long as my insurance is valid I'll take my chances. Besides there's no record of when the vehicle was brought into the country.

And benefiting from Ireland is like benefiting from a swift kick to the balls.

Sighs..... :rolleyes: Not a helpful attitude, speaking as another blow-in.

Mike.

IDMUD

Maybe I was a bit harsh, but you have to admit that everything involving paperwork in this country is f**ked.

And regarding the blow-in remark, isn't that what the point of the eu is? Open borders giving anyone a chance to live and work in any other of the membering countries? Heck, the eu is the only reason Ireland was able to turn it's economy around, thanks to "blow-ins"...

Don't bite the hand that feeds you.

Ernie Ball

IDMUD wrote:

Well, as long as my insurance is valid I'll take my chances. Besides there's no record of when the vehicle was brought into the country.

And benefiting from Ireland is like benefiting from a swift kick to the balls.

So, in summary:

1) You want to be here

2) You don't want to play by the rules

3) You want to complain about it.

Sounds like you'll fit in just fine!:D

That said, I look forward to your howling the day you get done for not having registered your car.

And I take it you and your fellow swedes have no problem with immigrants to that country trying to cheat the system. You just shrug your shoulders and extend them a warm swedish welcome. Right?

IDMUD

1. Nope, not any more

2. Why should I, I'm only visiting.

3. What else is there to do


Seriously, I'm not staying for long so it would be futile to register my vehicle in this country.

Besprechen

what i dont understand is, if its all so easy and ok to drive foreign registered cars, why arent more people driving NI plated vehicles with cheaper tax and insurance?
i would've thought if youre working somewhere and you pay tax to that government they've got records of when you started employment they can match to the length of time you're resident?

Ernie Ball

IDMUD wrote:

1. Nope, not any more

2. Why should I, I'm only visiting.

Sorry, but this can't be let go. If the rules state that you are not a visitor (because you're living and working here) and that therefore you must comply with the rules about taxing your vehicle here, it is not a valid response to say: 'why should I comply with those rules; I'm only visiting.'

IDMUD

My residence yes, but what about my car? I might have brought it in a few days ago.

And you have to be a citizen of the country the vehicle is registered in, so for example I couldn't take out a polish insurance on my car just because they might have the cheapest rates.

jimmycrackcorm

Besprechen wrote:

what i dont understand is, if its all so easy and ok to drive foreign registered cars, why arent more people driving NI plated vehicles with cheaper tax and insurance?
i would've thought if youre working somewhere and you pay tax to that government they've got records of when you started employment they can match to the length of time you're resident?

The customs will look at a lot more than employment recrods, they look at your family connections too.

Ernie Ball

IDMUD wrote:

My residence yes, but what about my car? I might have brought it in a few days ago.

The revenue won't be interested in what you 'might have' done.

And you have to be a citizen of the country the vehicle is registered in, so for example I couldn't take out a polish insurance on my car just because they might have the cheapest rates.

Did you just make this up? It's nonsense. You merely have to be resident in the country. Citizenship is an entirely different matter.

MojoMaker

Just to clarify Ernie, transient EU workers are entitled to keep their private transport on original out-of-country plates for up to one year while living here, and thus are not required to pay VRT. You are require to have valid insurance cover, which IDMUD appears to have.

So give the guy a break, assuming he's within his first year he's doing nothing wrong.