Agree totally, Phil. I get sick and tired of seeing expired tax discs on cars, especially when the said cars are great big, expensive 4x4s or luxury saloons.
Cheers
Rob
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I get sick and tired of seeing expired tax discs on cars, especially when the said cars are great big, expensive 4x4s or luxury saloons.
....which are parked any old how in a disabled bay outside the supermarket, because the perfectly able-bodied owner is far too important/busy talking on mobile/inconsiderate/lazy to find a proper parking space, which means that Your Humble Narrator's disabled mother-in-law has to struggle 50 yards further than she need have done in order to get to the shop. Grrrrr.
Paul's rule of thumb: if you can't afford to tax/insure/maintain it, you can't afford it, full stop. Hasn't failed me yet! :-)
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Slight tangent, but Phil's link mentions people who paid an on-the-spot fine of £200 after producing a licence within 2 weeks. I had always imagined an on-the-spot fine had to be paid on the spot, and always worried about what I would do if I didn't have the money on me at the time. I know this sounds silly, but are people really given time to pay these fines?
FWIW, I totally applaud the clampdown described in the link, and wish it was more widespread.
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The penalties should be high enough to cover the cost of the operation. Once that is in place, this exercise should be carried regularly everywhere!
Only once in 40 years driving have I knowingly been checked. That was a gang of ministry boys and police standing at a major junction in West London checking the tax disks of the vehicles stopped at the lights. They were doing a roaring trade in dishing out tickets - great to see!
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One thing that baffles me. Why don't they put the cars through the auction insted of crushing them? Or have I missed some obscure legal point?
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One thing that baffles me. Why don't they put the cars through the auction insted of crushing them? Or have I missed some obscure legal point?
I think the decent ones are. A lot of the people unable to pay the VED also can't afford a valuable car. It's probably more cost effective to crush something on its last legs than get only £10 for it at an auction.
James
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No obscure legal point; you can get your car back if you pay £200 plus the cost of a tax disc. If your car's not worth saving for the sake of £250, it's probably only fit for crushing.
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HF
I think the term on the spot fine is a misnomer, albeit much used in the press. They usually mean a fixed penalty notice where you effectivley plead guilty and pay a fixed forfeit within 14 or 28 days. Don't think we yet have a system in the UK like on the continent where you have to pay the Constable or other official who "nicks" you. Not sure how TB's plans for on th spot fines for drunks etc fit into that mould.
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I believe they are 'spot' fines as opposed to 'on the spot' variety.
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Thank you Simon and Frostbite - I see I have been labouring under a misapprehension.
HF
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