Car service in another county, can I travel (level 5)?

kermitpwee

Im due to get my car serviced in a county that I don't live in?
No main dealer in my own county, can I travel under level 5 restrictions?
If do do I need an email or text from the main dealer to show at a check point?
Thanks

Kimbot

Well if you need your car for work etc and mechanics are based as essential then i would imagine you could go over the 5k to get your car fixed/serviced.

kermitpwee

Kimbot wrote: »

Well if you need your car for work etc and mechanics are based as essential then i would imagine you could go over the 5k to get your car fixed/serviced.

Looking for something more concrete, thanks though

Lastblackdog

kermitpwee wrote: »

Looking for something more concrete, thanks though

My car is booked in for a service (also a check engine light on) in a couple of weeks and the service dealer is in Dublin and I live in Kildare.

Yesterday I spoke to the service representative and she assured me that it was OK to travel for car repair work. She claims that they asked SIMI who told them that the advice from government is that it is allowed under the lockdown rules.

To me, this is still a bit vague. I spoke to someone, who spoke to someone, who spoke to someone else, etc..

Like you, I would like something more concrete direct from government.

Keano

Getting car repaired doesn't class as essential reasons to break the 5km limit going by Gov.ie

https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/2dc71-level-5/#domestic-travel-restrictions

Atlantic Dawn

Keano wrote: »

Getting car repaired doesn't class as essential reasons to break the 5km limit going by Gov.ie

https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/2dc71-level-5/#domestic-travel-restrictions

Yes I think it needs an update. NCT centres are all open as essential service so if they are restricted to those living within 5km it's going to be very quiet for them.

sniperman

hi folks,i was to do a job on my sons car this friday,balljoints,now im not sure if i can do it with these restrictions, i was thinking if we went to someplace like a shopping center car park maybe to do it,and not his home/garden,would that be allowed?

kirving

kermitpwee wrote: »

Looking for something more concrete, thanks though

You're not going to get an explicit list of every possible circumstance, so you have to make you own mind up about whether it's OK to travel.

Across the country for an oil change is pushing it. I think you'd be fine going 6km for it though.

Going 15km for a bulb change? 30km for an airbag light? Impossible to define what's "essential" as it changes on personal circumstances.

Toyotafanboi

Yes, i think it's a personal decision. You've been asked to restrict your movements. I think if you wouldn't be confortable stating your reasons to a garda then that should be a good measurement of if you should go or not.

Personally, i wouldn't go inter county for a service unless the car was overdue or had a fault or the likes. I'd just wait for the restrictions to pass, a little bit over an interval wont kill it. Some people are happy to go though and that appears to be their choice to make at the minute.

There is no list for every eventuality and there isn't going to be and there is IMO little guidance for this from the Government or SIMI so i think a common sense and case by case approach is needed.

redcup342

Isn't a car essential for almost everyone ?

Not really much use if its not road legal or broken.

How are you going to get to hospital if you need to ?

Wait for an Ambulance ?
Take a bus ?

Walk ?

ELM327

It's an essential service so you'll be fine, under 3D.
https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/c9158-essential-services/

Supply, repair and installation of machinery and equipment

3. The following services relating to the supply, repair and installation of machinery and equipment:

(a) the supply, repair and installation of machinery and equipment (including mechanically propelled vehicles, industrial machinery and equipment) for essential services;

(b) the repair of mechanically propelled vehicles or the repair of bicycles and related facilities.

Toyotafanboi

ELM327 wrote: »

It's an essential service so you'll be fine, under 3D.
https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/c9158-essential-services/

How does that fair with the travel restrictions though?

Domestic travel restrictions
Stay at home.

Exercise within 5 kilometres of home.

There will be a penalty for movement outside 5 kilometres of home, with the following exceptions:

travel to and from work, where work involves providing an essential service

to attend medical appointments and collect medicines and other health products

travel to attend disability day services

for food shopping

to take school aged children to permitted training as provided for in the Exercise and Sporting section above

for vital family reasons, such as providing care to children, elderly or vulnerable people, and in particular for those who live alone but excluding social family visits

for farming purposes, that is food production or care of animals

to attend a wedding or funeral

to visit a grave

Maybe I'm being naïve, but it's contradictory. Workshops are allowed to open as an "essential service" but you aren't allowed outside your 5k radius for the purposes or repair and upkeep of your car or whatever way you want to phrase it.

I can see how a nurse with a puncture or a garda with a check engine light would be a good reason to travel but not an accountant working from home who just needs an oil change, say.

I think it's like this, left intentionally grey to appease the business owners to say to them they can stay open, but we are asking people to stay put at home unless absolutely necessary.

Allinall

redcup342 wrote: »

Isn't a car essential for almost everyone ?

Not really much use if its not road legal or broken.

How are you going to get to hospital if you need to ?

Wait for an Ambulance ?
Take a bus ?

Walk ?

How do the many thousands of people who don't have cars get to the hospital if they need to?

kirving

Allinall wrote: »

How do the many thousands of people who don't have cars get to the hospital if they need to?

So it's preferable to call an ambulance rather than travel 6km to have your tyre fixed?

Allinall

Kevin Irving wrote: »

So it's preferable to call an ambulance rather than travel 6km to have your tyre fixed?

Where did I say that?

kermitpwee

Kevin Irving wrote: »

You're not going to get an explicit list of every possible circumstance, so you have to make you own mind up about whether it's OK to travel.

Across the country for an oil change is pushing it. I think you'd be fine going 6km for it though.

Going 15km for a bulb change? 30km for an airbag light? Impossible to define what's "essential" as it changes on personal circumstances.

Thanks, I don't see why the information can't be made clear in regard to servicing tbh

Atlantic Dawn

How you would get home when you drop in the car would be more of a concern.

kermitpwee

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

How you would get home when you drop in the car would be more of a concern.

All done that day, thanks folks, lots of help here, thanks again.

Kimbot

kermitpwee wrote: »

Thanks, I don't see why the information can't be made clear in regard to servicing tbh

If you are a front line worker and expected to travel to work and your only method or travel was your car then I cant see how the guards wont allow you voer 5k for that.

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

How you would get home when you drop in the car would be more of a concern.

Get a loaner off the mechanic, thats what im doing tomorrow when mine goes in for its service.

BrianD3

Are the actual regulations published yet on Irishstatutebook etc. The last time there was a list of specific journeys that were deemed essential but also a general clause that you could travel if you had a "reasonable excuse".

Information on other gov.ie websites is often inconsistent or things are omitted or the plain English in the actual regs is misinterpreted.

Also, it's very likely that the Gardai won't be well up on the regs. If you are stopped at a checkpoint, whether you are fined/turned around or not may depend on your demeanour or on "who you get" :rolleyes:

Rather than get into a argument on the side of the road about whether getting my car serviced is an essential journey or not, I'd wear a shirt, show my work ID badge and say I'm an essential worker going to work which would almost certainly work in my case but mightn't for many people.

Anyhow, it's an utter joke if a supplier of good/services is deemed essential but travelling to that supplier to purchase goods/services is deemed a non essential journey.

redcup342

Allinall wrote: »

How do the many thousands of people who don't have cars get to the hospital if they need to?

They don't have a car because they don't need one, some places in the country don't have any public transport and an ambulance can take 45 minutes - 1 hour to get there (Pre-Covid)

antodeco

So OP, I've a similar issue. My car was dropped into a mechanic who is 14kms away. I'll have to eventually collect it. I was speaking to him today and he said he can stay open, however the part of the business where the engine has been sent to, is over 5kms away. So the engine is in one place and the rest of the car in another. He has to travel to get the engine back, to put back into the car, for me to be able to drive it.

ironclaw

With respect, you are greatly overthinking it. The person stopping you is going to be a Garda, not a judge and executor. At worst you are going to be turned home. Fines are for obvious cases of severe infractions as Gardai are humans too, no Garda wants that level of paperwork for a car repair trip and no judge is going to slam someone for such as a trip.

Have all your paperwork and explain the situation if stopped, don't' worry about it otherwise.

If it's any way reassuring, one of our businesses is in a similar spot of ambiguity and we called the local Garda station. They accepted our interpretation of the guidelines and assured us if anything changed, they'd simply ask us to close. Otherwise, our patrons are free to attend our business and won't be stopped by the Gardai en route in the locality.

kermitpwee

ironclaw wrote: »

With respect, you are greatly overthinking it. The person stopping you is going to be a Garda, not a judge and executor. At worst you are going to be turned home. Fines are for obvious cases of severe infractions as Gardai are humans too, no Garda wants that level of paperwork for a car repair trip and no judge is going to slam someone for such as a trip.

Have all your paperwork and explain the situation if stopped, don't' worry about it otherwise.

If it's any way reassuring, one of our businesses is in a similar spot of ambiguity and we called the local Garda station. They accepted our interpretation of the guidelines and assured us if anything changed, they'd simply ask us to close. Otherwise, our patrons are free to attend our business and won't be stopped by the Gardai en route in the locality.

Thanks, with respect I don't feel I am over thinking it, we're you over thinking it when you contacted your local garda station?

bmc58

Keano wrote: »

Getting car repaired doesn't class as essential reasons to break the 5km limit going by Gov.ie

https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/2dc71-level-5/#domestic-travel-restrictions

Well if you are an essential worker and you need your car to get to work,it must be ok .

Whocare

Personally I wouldn't travel if there any obvious defects with car garda could fine you . As with checkpoint I see if you don't have a good excuse there pulling you to side checking tyres looking to fine you

knifey_spoonie

A lot of this comes down to common sense, There is no specific allowance to travel outside the 5km to vehicle repairs, NCT's, CVRTS or even to a Hardware for that matter.

I know the RSA have advised that people should be allowed to travel beyond the 5km limit for vehicle testing.

SIMI have said they believe that "it is within the spirit of the guidelines that people will be allowed to access essential retail outlets beyond the 5km limit.

In reality if you have a genuine reason to travel to a business that has been deemed essential and allowed to remain open you are not going to have an issue.

User1998

I’l be travelling from Dublin to County Down to get my car serviced by Volkswagen in the next few weeks as the service light has just come on. My service plan is with VW UK so dealers in southern Ireland won’t service it for free under the service plan so I have to go up North. I’m an essential worker who drives to work

ELM327

I'll be travelling to another county for my NCT on Saturday.

ironclaw

kermitpwee wrote: »

Thanks, with respect I don't feel I am over thinking it, we're you over thinking it when you contacted your local garda station?

Overthinking it is coming onto an internet forum and everyone throwing out hearsay and their own opinion. This just creates an echo chamber. No new information is gathered. It just leads to what if's and more thinking.

Logical thinking is reading the guidelines and asking a local authority for their stance and interpretation of said guidelines in the case of ambiguity. We took this step as:

a) We actually wanted to get a firm, somewhat legally backed, answer

b) Our livelihood and customer relations depended on it.

The answer to the question of this thread is in my comment. Any further discussion is meaningless.

kermitpwee

ironclaw wrote: »

Overthinking it is coming onto an internet forum and everyone throwing out hearsay and their own opinion. This just creates an echo chamber. No new information is gathered. It just leads to what if's and more thinking.

Logical thinking is reading the guidelines and asking a local authority for their stance and interpretation of said guidelines in the case of ambiguity. We took this step as:

a) We actually wanted to get a firm, somewhat legally backed, answer

b) Our livelihood and customer relations depended on it.

The answer to the question of this thread is in my comment. Any further discussion is meaningless.

My god how arrogant are you? You are going to be the moderator of what I think! You will tell me whats sensible to post on an Internet forum!
Your some legend in your own opinion.
I can ask what I want, when I want, I asked for information, I did not ask whether you thought I was over thinking.

manutd2007

stiffs on here, go anywhere you want it's a free country......

blackbox

The 5km limit is only for exercise.

kirving

Allinall wrote: »

Where did I say that?

You didn't specifically, but the inference is that it's acceptable to call an Ambulance just because you don't have a car, or have access to your own car due to restrictions.

If at all possible, people should be making their own way to hospital, and IMO it's perfectly acceptable to collect your car outside of the 5km limit, if that means you can get to hospital in an emergency.

ironclaw

kermitpwee wrote: »

My god how arrogant are you? You are going to be the moderator of what I think! You will tell me whats sensible to post on an Internet forum!
Your some legend in your own opinion.
I can ask what I want, when I want, I asked for information, I did not ask whether you thought I was over thinking.

You asked what my opinion on overthinking was, and I gave it. If you don't like my outlook, that's your prerogative and I accept it. I couldn't care less what (or when) you post or think, what I care about is answering a question asked with sensible, reliable and factual information.

You also asked a question, and I and many others answered it. It's not arrogance, I'm doing exactly what you asked.

kermitpwee

ironclaw wrote: »

You asked what my opinion on overthinking was, and I gave it.

No. I asked whether I could travel to another county to service my car under level 5 restrictions.

timeToLive

blackbox wrote: »

The 5km limit is only for exercise.

huh?

PsychoPete

People can make their own choices whether to travel or not

JP Liz V1

kermitpwee wrote: »

Im due to get my car serviced in a county that I don't live in?
No main dealer in my own county, can I travel under level 5 restrictions?
If do do I need an email or text from the main dealer to show at a check point?
Thanks

I think some proof like email, text or letter would be helpful but seems car repair is essential