Driving in N.I - Can you get clamped for out of date tax etc..?

Ruby_Woo

Hi all!

Someone was telling me the other day that Southern Irish Motorists can now get clamped and fined in the North for no tax etc...?

Just curious as to if this is the case as why would the UK Government/PSNI care if a Southern Reg car had up to date tax or not - it's not affecting their exchequer..?

Anyone know anything about this, just curious as to what jurisdiction the local wardens, police, clampers etc.. have on a Southern reg car in the North?

Declan1

Yes, that's correct. A friend's car was clamped in Belfast for no tax.

Berty

You do mean a car from the Republic as opposed to the "South".

There was a big thread on it recently. They can even confiscate your car apparently.

Declan1

I'm referring to a car from the republic in any case.

Mr Benevolent

The idea is that you cannot drive without any car tax, regardless of the country you live in. Fair enough too. The difference is that in NI they apparently enforce the law properly. We're not used to that kind of efficiency.

cadaliac

Yes they can. It doesn't make it right though. (I haven't seen the other threads)

Mr Benevolent

cadaliac wrote: »

Yes they can. It doesn't make it right though. (I haven't seen the other threads)

What's wrong about it? Driving around with no tax is illegal, end of story.

cadaliac

Confab wrote: »

What's wrong about it? Driving around with no tax is illegal, end of story.

Yes, but I was relating to Irish cars in the north being peanolised for a southern crime.
If the car has no Irish tax, let the Irish gov fine the Irish driver. Do the Irish Guards fine english drivers for no tax?
I think not.

markpb

cadaliac wrote: »

Yes, but I was relating to Irish cars in the north being peanolised for a southern crime.
If the car has no Irish tax, let the Irish gov fine the Irish driver. Do the Irish Guards fine english drivers for no tax?
I think not.

Assuming the explanation in the other thread is correct (your ability to drive in another EU country is predicated on being compliant with the rules of your own country), there's no reason why Gardai couldn't do the same for non-compliant English motorists here. Perhaps they do - who knows?

What is your particular problem with the law being enforced?

cadaliac

markpb wrote: »

Assuming the explanation in the other thread is correct (your ability to drive in another EU country is predicated on being compliant with the rules of your own country), there's no reason why Gardai couldn't do the same for non-compliant English motorists here. Perhaps they do - who knows?

What is your particular problem with the law being enforced?

Who knows? Who knows.
That is the problem.

Mr Benevolent

cadaliac wrote: »

Who knows? Who knows.
That is the problem.

Put simply - this is EU law. Tax your car no matter which EU country you're in or it will be impounded. It's not about morality, it's about obeying the law.

/thread

Adam Selene

They could clamp you, they would, however, be most unlikely to pursue you if you took an angle grinder to said clamp.

Not to suggest aanything illegal of course, that would be in violation of the forum charter;)

cadaliac

Confab wrote: »

Put simply - this is EU law. Tax your car no matter which EU country you're in or it will be impounded. It's not about morality, it's about obeying the law.

/thread

I think the morality side was more what I was talking about. This "rule or no rule, you still broke the law" is not reality.

dirtydiesel

Adam Selene wrote: »

They could clamp you, they would, however, be most unlikely to pursue you if you took an angle grinder to said clamp.

Not to suggest aanything illegal of course, that would be in violation of the forum charter;)

So when travelling north with no road tax, bring the angle grinder:D.

corktina

the point is the NI authorities are trying to clamp down on all the Republic cars being used up there with no tax. A lot of these are there all the time to avoid paying NI road tax etc. The reverse happens in border areas of the republic only the gards are not so efficent.

Its their country, if you want to drive there, you do it by their rules

Cabaal

Confab wrote: »

The idea is that you cannot drive without any car tax, regardless of the country you live in. Fair enough too. The difference is that in NI they apparently enforce the law properly. We're not used to that kind of efficiency.

If only they'd do the same thing here

GerardKeating

cadaliac wrote: »

Yes, but I was relating to Irish cars in the north being peanolised for a southern crime.
If the car has no Irish tax, let the Irish gov fine the Irish driver. Do the Irish Guards fine english drivers for no tax?
I think not.

They are not enforcing Irish law, they are enforcing their local law and that states that a foreign car might be in compliance with it's local laws when it is driving in the UK and they are entitled to enforce their local laws..

Ruby_Woo

Thanks for all the replies, interesting!