Commercial vehicles with UK regs

Alun

Twice in recent days I've seen commercial vehicles (Transit sized) clearly showing advertisements for Irish based businesses, but sporting UK registrations. One was for some kind of Outdoor Pursuits company, and today some cobblelock driveway merchant. Surely that's just taking the p1ss, isn't it? Or could it be legal somehow?

Silvera

'Cobble-lock drove merchant' = traveller (I'd reckon).

Lots of travellers doing such work (also tarmac, gutters, etc.) drive UK/N.I reg vans.

Legal ? ..... I think not.
Will anything be done to stop them ? .........I doubt it.
Are they properly insured ? ..........anyones guess.

unkel

Not just vans, so many vehicles with foreign plates resident here

The Guardai aren't interested unfortunately. Customs & Excise should step in. For sure, unlike most government agencies, this should pay for itself and a nice bit of profit = less tax for all of us

Thinking along the lines of back tax to the date of first registration of the vehicle, unless they can prove they bought the car at a later stage, plus say 1000% fixed penalty

And I'm only talking tax here, insurance is far more serious

Neil_Sedaka

I live in an area that is mostly rented accomodation. Parking is tight to say the least (a 4 bed house can have up to 8 cars outside) FOR EACH HOUSE!!!!!

I've noticed over the years that a lot of my neighbours are on foreign plates, with no NCT (safety chack) and would wonder if some of them have any insurance?

I've heard recently that (some) people are bringing left hand drive cars into Ireland and driving them about un-insured on foreign plates whilst working here, but this is obviously untrue :rolleyes:

Don't mean to sound like a racist here, but fair is fair! I don't pay my extortionate lot for the craic like!

Our man in Havana

Is there a handy phone number to grass to the customs on?

Alun

The point of my post was that I am as aware as everybody here of the huge numbers of foreign registered private cars on the roads, but many of these, if stopped by Customs, could probably try and wriggle out of it by claiming they were "just visiting", or some crap excuse like that, so they're just chancing it.

But if you're driving around in, say, a UK rehistered Ford Transit with advertising for your company all over it, with an Irish address, an Irish phone number and an Irish e-mail/web address, then you may as well be driving around with a big flag saying "I am taking the p1ss, please arrest me!".

murphaph

Hmmm,
What about the Quinn Group based in Fermanagh, but you often see HGVs with Cavan plates on them too. Companies that straddle the border can probably take advantage of both sides of it.

As for foreign registered cars, well we all know it's out of order. These folks are living here and using the roads like us, but not paying for them. The rules across the EU are quite clear on the grace period for registration.

useeme

There is no VRT on commercial vehicles imported into Ireland

Alun

General Motors wrote:

There is no VRT on commercial vehicles imported into Ireland

So? If it was imported legally then it should have an Irish registration, shouldn't it?

Guy:Incognito

murphaph wrote:

As for foreign registered cars, well we all know it's out of order. These folks are living here and using the roads like us, but not paying for them. The rules across the EU are quite clear on the grace period for registration.

Its not a hard thing to sort. All they have to do is register the regs of all cars entering the country so they can be checked if pulle dover. If the car is found to be in the country longer than the grace pperio, impound them till duty/vrt is payed. Wont worry the people driving round in old bangers, although it will get them off the roads. But the ones in fairly new BMW's and the like will pay up.

Silvera

Stekelly wrote:

Its not a hard thing to sort. All they have to do is register the regs of all cars entering the country so they can be checked if pulle dover. If the car is found to be in the country longer than the grace pperio, impound them till duty/vrt is payed. Wont worry the people driving round in old bangers, although it will get them off the roads. But the ones in fairly new BMW's and the like will pay up.

Brilliant idea!!!

So simple.... yet ingenious !

(It would be tricky re cars entering from the North, but even if they logged all vehicles entering via ports, they would catch an awful lot of people/evaders!)

unkel

Stekelly wrote:

Its not a hard thing to sort. All they have to do is register the regs of all cars entering the country

You got my vote

Simple camera setup on all North -> South border crossings a la London congestion zone cameras will complete the setup

I'm already expecting my motor tax to go down by nearly a grand a year because of this

Stekelly wrote:

If the car is found to be in the country longer than the grace pperio, impound them till duty/vrt is payed

Plus the fixed 1000% penalty I suggested

kilasser

I live in London and see lots of Irish registered vans. Garden maintenance or Taring on the side with UK contact numbers. Some no disks in windows and going past speed cameras without a worry in the world. Mostly Donegal (DL) plates for some reason.

prospect

They don't have to pay VRT on commercial.
But a NI/UK reg car in ireland also does not have to display insurance, i think.

lomb

kilasser wrote:

I live in London and see lots of Irish registered vans. Garden maintenance or Taring on the side with UK contact numbers. Some no disks in windows and going past speed cameras without a worry in the world. Mostly Donegal (DL) plates for some reason.

it cuts both ways, people are people, and this is europe