Traffic Cops programme

[Arch]

Good. This raises the prospect of Police cars with ANPR cruising around spotting uninsured cars just parked by the road and having them crushed.

Crushing is a stupid waste of resources. Confiscate, and sell on. Give the cars new identities legally, if need be.

 

[Foghorn_leghorn]

I saw on the road.cc site that they are bringing in a new regulation to help deal with uninsured vehicles whereby they can be taken and crushed even if not on the road (not if they are SORN'd though).

http://road.cc/conte...arliament-today

This really is a step too far. I'm all for the police using ANPR coupled with databases to identify vehicles being driven on the road without tax, mot or insurance. That's great.
But now if I wanted to take a car off the road temporarily, for a couple of week's repairs say, and transfer my insurance to another vehicle to use in the meantime, I have to declare SORN, and surrender the tax disc (of which only complete months remaining are refundable), then re-tax when I take the car off SORN.
On the other hand, on refusing to pay the £100 fixed penalty for non compliance, it seems I could face having Mr Plod come and drag my car out of my garage to be seized and crushed, and receive a fine of £1000 for the privilege.

Here's another example, one that applies to me at the moment. I have recently bought a new car in a private sale. It is taxed and mot'd
and I have transferred my insurance over. I still have my old car, kept off road which is for sale. I do not want to SORN it as I'd prefer any buyer to have what tax remains on the car as part of the deal. This also means that a potential buyer only has to arrange temporary insurance cover to test drive the car legally. So I now find myself on the wrong side of the new law and have to play cat and mouse with the DVLA etc.

 

[Foghorn_leghorn]

Crushing is a stupid waste of resources. Confiscate, and sell on. Give the cars new identities legally, if need be.

Imagine if they applied that idea to the proceeds of drugs raids. Brings to mind Harry Enfields Dutch policemen!
The police employ recovery operators to seize and impound non insureds etc. The owner can then claim the car back once they can satisfy the police that they have insured it and paid the relevant recovery/storage charges. Cars of any value are almost always claimed back. It's just the old ratters that are signed over to be scrapped, cars that are usually at the end of life anyway. The recovery operator then recoups costs through scrap value.

 

[cloggsy]

The current system simply isnt working. What is the answer?

Death by firing squad?

Bullets only cost 9p each to produce

 

[Mawsley]

No insurance/tax/MOT/licence or driving in a dangerous/reckless manner = crush the car/van/motorbike.

I'm also a fan on ramping up the price of petrol to private vehicle owners by obscene amounts and allowing haulage/public transport companies to run on red diesel.

 

[Brandane]

No insurance/tax/MOT/licence or driving in a dangerous/reckless manner = crush the car/van/motorbike.

I'm also a fan on ramping up the price of petrol to private vehicle owners by obscene amounts and allowing haulage/public transport companies to run on red diesel.

I presume you don't live in a rural area with no prospect of finding local work, and therefore have to commute 25 miles each way on busy "A" roads to work 12 hour shifts, with no viable public transport alternative??

I am a fan of cycling, but come on; the obscene amounts of tax already charged by HM Government are more than enough, thanks!

 

[steve52]

bring back slavery, if you dont wont to be part of society ie benifit from our lights drink our clean water ectect when you have worked of your debt u can leave

 

[Mawsley]

I presume you don't live in a rural area with no prospect of finding local work, and therefore have to commute 25 miles

You presume wrong then on all counts.

I believe that private transport should subsidise cheap and efficient public transport & distribution networks. Public transport doesn't work at present, something has to be done - and having everybody owning their own car isn't the answer for the future.

 

[Brandane]

Public transport doesn't work at present, something has to be done - and having everybody owning their own car isn't the answer for the future.

I agree that public transport doesn't work at present, and until it DOES work it is grossly unfair and verging on extortion to..............

ramp up the price of petrol to private vehicle owners by obscene amounts

Over several decades the policy of Government planners has been built around the motor car and peoples ability to use it (out of town shopping centres, no local hospitals, schools etc..); so for them now to do a U-turn and make the car unaffordable is IMHO an absolute disgrace.
Already it is hardly worth my while travelling 25 miles each way to a job that pays £8 per hour, and is one reason why I have just taken voluntary redundancy.
Well done HM Govt and those that think we can save the planet by making car ownership unaffordable .

 

[BentMikey]

You mean the real cost of car ownership is only now becoming apparent to you?