Driving a UK vehicle in Ireland

TheNewMe

I've always understood that it was now illegal for an Irish resident to drive a non-Irish registered vehicle in Ireland and that the vehicle is subject to seizure if customs catch you.

A few times last week I spotted a Bus Eireann bus tooling around the place with a UK registration plate. I'm curious. Is this legal or is there some exemption for state monopolies ?

I suspect if a private bus company was doing it then the forces of the state would crash down upon them like a ton of bricks. But maybe that's just my bias showing

source

TheNewMe wrote: »

I've always understood that it was now illegal for an Irish resident to drive a non-Irish registered vehicle in Ireland and that the vehicle is subject to seizure if customs catch you.

A few times last week I spotted a Bus Eireann bus tooling around the place with a UK registration plate. I'm curious. Is this legal or is there some exemption for state monopolies ?

I suspect if a private bus company was doing it then the forces of the state would crash down upon them like a ton of bricks. But maybe that's just my bias showing

There's garda cars driving around on UK plates, they're demonstrators over from the UK for trials. I would imagine its the same in this instance.

Del2005

TheNewMe wrote: »

I've always understood that it was now illegal for an Irish resident to drive a non-Irish registered vehicle in Ireland and that the vehicle is subject to seizure if customs catch you.

A few times last week I spotted a Bus Eireann bus tooling around the place with a UK registration plate. I'm curious. Is this legal or is there some exemption for state monopolies ?

I suspect if a private bus company was doing it then the forces of the state would crash down upon them like a ton of bricks. But maybe that's just my bias showing

There are a few exemptions to RoI residents driving UK reg and companies main business is one of them. The bus would be doing most of it's driving in the UK so it's OK to be registered there.

Victor

TheNewMe wrote: »

A few times last week I spotted a Bus Eireann bus tooling around the place with a UK registration plate.

Likely a Eurolines bus that does London and other routes. http://www.buseireann.ie/inner.php?id=263

Not every bus in Bus Éireann colours is owned by them.

TheNewMe

No, it was the 216 bus in Cork city. This is a regular commuter route - hardly gets out of the city let alone the county

Victor

Is this the natural gas powered one?

It is likely to be a temporary import.

jasonpat

Its for sure that its a illegal to drive non Irish registered vehicle in Ireland, in this case may be that bus was too old and it still doing business in Ireland.

twowheelsonly

It's a demonstrator, over here on trial.

Thread here: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056689437

stephendevlin

jasonpat wrote: »

Its for sure that its a illegal to drive non Irish registered vehicle in Ireland, in this case may be that bus was too old and it still doing business in Ireland.

So if I rented a car in the north and drove it out here in the south it would be illegal because I reside in Ireland

Michael Sheridan

stephendevlin wrote: »

So if I rented a car in the north and drove it out here in the south it would be illegal because I reside in Ireland

no!

It is not illegal to drive a UK registered car in the south. You could hire a car in the north and drive it here because it is a temporary atrranmgement/contract.

It is illegal to keep and drive a UK registered vehicle if you are "ordinarily resident in the state". In other words if your main address and residency is in the state you cant have a UK registered car. If yoiu live in the UK fotr 186 days a year and the rest here then you can have the UK car and drive it here because youyr residency is UK

kravmaga

Yara Rich Plumber wrote: »

So if I am south IRL resident but I own a UK car rental company in NI can I rent them from myself and drive them down south as I please?

There is no Southern Ireland, the 26 counties is called the Republic of Ireland.

Victor

Yara Rich Plumber wrote: »

And I had a lovely burger for dinner today.

Any greens on the side? A glass of orange with it perhaps?

CIARAN_BOYLE

Yara Rich Plumber wrote: »

So if I am south IRL resident but I own a UK car rental company in NI can I rent them from myself and drive them down south as I please?

First of all your UK car rental company would have to be a company and not a sole tradership because obviously you can't rent a car from yourself

Also it would have to be a temporary situation, you would need legal advice to find out specifics but a long term rent or a lease would not be allowed

MidlandsM

source wrote: »

There's garda cars driving around on UK plates, they're demonstrators over from the UK for trials. I would imagine its the same in this instance.

then they are not garda cars as the Gardai don't own them.....:rolleyes:

mathepac

kravmaga wrote: »

There is no Southern Ireland, the 26 counties is called the Republic of Ireland.

It is actually called "Ireland" - check your passport. The Republic of Ireland is the name of our soccer team.

MidlandsM

mathepac wrote: »

It is actually called "Ireland" - check your passport. The Republic of Ireland is the name of our soccer team.

eire...:D