Customs VRT crackdown in Drogheda

bf

Intersting to see Customs have a much higher presence now in chasing down cars not VRT'd. I live in a large housing estate in Drogheda where there are at least 50 or so cars with NI plates and some UK plates.

I have seen 2 or customs men doing checkpoints from time to time in Drogheda but this morning there were at least 12 customs officers with 2 checkpoints (at each entrance to the estate).

They weren't short of cars to stop! Is this finally the VRT crackdown we have been told about?

GerardKeating

bf wrote:

Intersting to see Customs have a much higher presence now in chasing down cars not VRT'd. I live in a large housing estate in Drogheda where there are at least 50 or so cars with NI plates and some UK plates.

I have seen 2 or customs men doing checkpoints from time to time in Drogheda but this morning there were at least 12 customs officers with 2 checkpoints (at each entrance to the estate).

They weren't short of cars to stop! Is this finally the VRT crackdown we have been told about?

They had a check in Furbo the other day as well...

Owen

When I brought my UK bike into Ireland in October, I fully intended to VRT it immediately, and then I didn't ride it at all, and it sat in my Garage until Feb, when I drove it for the first time, and got pulled. Needless to say, it was VRT'd straight away.

I'm looking at importing a UK car for myself now at the moment, and that'll be VRT'd immediately too!

blastman

Hmm, I suppose I should consider getting mine done...

ballooba

ned78 wrote:

I'm looking at importing a UK car for myself now at the moment, and that'll be VRT'd immediately too!

A car salesman importing a car for himself. Not a good advertisment.

Owen

Ah yes, but I have very specific needs that this country can't cater to in the used segment of the market

drdre

ned78 wrote:

When I brought my UK bike into Ireland in October, I fully intended to VRT it immediately, and then I didn't ride it at all, and it sat in my Garage until Feb, when I drove it for the first time, and got pulled. Needless to say, it was VRT'd straight away.

I'm looking at importing a UK car for myself now at the moment, and that'll be VRT'd immediately too!

What car are you thinking of getting?

Owen

R53 MINI Cooper S, with all the John Cooper Works toys, the engine, suspension, brakes, seats, steering wheel, all the toys! Just have to find the right one first.

drdre

ned78 wrote:

R53 MINI Cooper S, with all the John Cooper Works toys, the engine, suspension, brakes, seats, steering wheel, all the toys! Just have to find the right one first.

Sounds very nice.Why not go for the new GP . It looks beautiful

Owen

Wow, if this ain't threadjacking! Well, the GP is still running at inflated prices, too inflated, so I'm not all that interested in it myself. It's a great car, but one year old models are still 20k Sterling!

Turner

bf wrote:

Intersting to see Customs have a much higher presence now in chasing down cars not VRT'd. I live in a large housing estate in Drogheda where there are at least 50 or so cars with NI plates and some UK plates.

I have seen 2 or customs men doing checkpoints from time to time in Drogheda but this morning there were at least 12 customs officers with 2 checkpoints (at each entrance to the estate).

They weren't short of cars to stop! Is this finally the VRT crackdown we have been told about?

Did they have Gardai with them.

If they didnt you do not have to stop for them.

Customs officers do not have the power to stop traffic at a checkpoint. They require the presence of the gardai to do this.

yop

Mate got nailed in Claremorris, think he paid over a grand of a fine!

drdre

Chief--- wrote:

Did they have Gardai with them.

If they didnt you do not have to stop for them.

Customs officers do not have the power to stop traffic at a checkpoint. They require the presence of the gardai to do this.

They can if your car is parked eg in a car park etc maybe not on the road.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Chief--- wrote:

Did they have Gardai with them.

If they didnt you do not have to stop for them.

Customs officers do not have the power to stop traffic at a checkpoint. They require the presence of the gardai to do this.

Totally wrong Chief. The regulations below are still valid-

S.I. No. 117/1968:

CUSTOMS (LAND FRONTIER) REGULATIONS, 1968.


(3) The person in charge or control of any vehicle within twenty miles of the Land Frontier shall, on request by an Officer, stop the vehicle if it is in motion and shall allow any Officer to examine the vehicle and any goods being carried thereon and to take account of the goods, and shall produce to the Officer all documents in that person's possession relating to the goods and shall answer all questions relating to the vehicle and journey or to any goods being conveyed put to him by the Officer.

MercMad

They can if your car is parked eg in a car park etc maybe not on the road

........if you are parked they wont have to stop you will they ?? Or have you found a way to park without actually stopping at all !

Turner

Johan Mysterious Zinger wrote:

Totally wrong Chief. The regulations below are still valid-

S.I. No. 117/1968:

CUSTOMS (LAND FRONTIER) REGULATIONS, 1968.


(3) The person in charge or control of any vehicle within twenty miles of the Land Frontier shall, on request by an Officer, stop the vehicle if it is in motion and shall allow any Officer to examine the vehicle and any goods being carried thereon and to take account of the goods, and shall produce to the Officer all documents in that person's possession relating to the goods and shall answer all questions relating to the vehicle and journey or to any goods being conveyed put to him by the Officer.

Ya when was the last time you saw a customs post at a "Land frontier"

Land Frontier = (boundary point between Republic and Northern Ireland or Border Post)

They have all been dismantled.

Stephen

One would think that the border still counts as a land frontier, regardless of how porous it is now.

Alun

Stephen wrote:

One would think that the border still counts as a land frontier, regardless of how porous it is now.

Exactly.

bf

No Gardai with them, but I'm sure they would be on the radio to the Gardai pretty sharpish if you had a yellow reg and didn't stop!

Turner

Stephen wrote:

One would think that the border still counts as a land frontier, regardless of how porous it is now.

That legislation was designed for customs posts at border points. It gave the customs the power to stop vehicles within twenty miles of the post.


Not going to work well if the customs are trying to stop a car in cork.


Trust me, only the Gardai have the power to stop vehicles.

yayamark

Chief--- wrote:

That legislation was designed for customs posts at border points. It gave the customs the power to stop vehicles within twenty miles of the post.


Not going to work well if the customs are trying to stop a car in cork.


Trust me, only the Gardai have the power to stop vehicles.

no chief i have to agree with the others the customs have the power to stop vehicles on a public road. but u usually see the gardai with them just for a presence

CLADA

The key part of that power is "within twenty miles of the Land Frontier" if you are further than 20 miles from the border ......

Turner

yayamark wrote:

no chief i have to agree with the others the customs have the power to stop vehicles on a public road. but u usually see the gardai with them just for a presence

You are right..

Just after finding legislation in the Finance Act 2002 which authorises "officers" to stop vehicles.


--edit--
2 ) ( a ) Any person in charge of a moving vehicle shall, at the request of an officer of the Commissioners in uniform, stop the vehicle.
--edit--


Never knew that.

yayamark

Chief--- wrote:

You are right..

Just after finding legislation in the Finance Act 2002 which authorises "officers" to stop vehicles.


--edit--
2 ) ( a ) Any person in charge of a moving vehicle shall, at the request of an officer of the Commissioners in uniform, stop the vehicle.
--edit--


Never knew that.

god they'd let anyone be a mod these days-- only joking:)

its a thing that the majority of people don't know about.

someday it may lead to an incident, like a violent confrontation or a customs man been knocked down

i think its something that should be put out into the public domain, like an ad on tv like those road safety ads

Alun

It doesn't surprise me at all that they have this power. Customs Officers in other countries often have more powers than Police Officers in some regards, including being able to enter premises to search them without a warrant, for example.

BANZAI_RUNNER

trust my wife is a customs officer and not only can they stop you but they can confiscate your vehicle on the spot if they want to, she has done it to a truck driver , he was not impressed but had to find some other mode of transport

Turner

Aye, with regard to VRT i know the Gardai can stop and seize any vehicle for the purpose of carrying out enquiries, to see if the vrt has been paid, whether the person is exempt etc etc.

.Longshanks.

Bit off topic here but maybe somebody can shed some light on something i've been thinking about;

In theory, is it possible to import a reasonably expensive car in towards the end of the year.....keep it locked away in the garage until Jan:rolleyes: ....and then pay the VRT in the new year?
As the cars Irish value will have dropped due to the change of the year, the VRT payment should also drop. This could be a saving of €1000 on a €30k car....

Stephen

Legally, you are supposed to pay the VRT within 24 hours of landing the vehicle.

.Longshanks.

Stephen wrote:

Legally, you are supposed to pay the VRT within 24 hours of landing the vehicle.

Supposed to being the word! I think its generally accepted that theres a bit of leeway when it comes to paying the VRT within 24 hours..... Personally know of a lad in work who waited 3 weeks with no hassle

Head The Wall

Chief--- wrote:

Trust me, only the Gardai have the power to stop vehicles.

So what about someone doing road works who has all the relevant permits?