Phew! - Close Call

[Mike M]

I was driving to work on the A9 this morning and as I came up to the Broxden roundabout (Perth) there was a big tailback. Then I saw the police slow sign and thought, oh dear - an accident! As I was driving past the coned off lane I got pulled over by a traffic cop and it turns out there was no accident, it was a traffic cop checkpoint with VOSA!!

By the time I stopped my car I wasn't worried about being late for work, it was the 2 issues of my (ahem) slightly updated font on my plates and my full decat!!!!!!!

I was even less happy to see them load 4 cars onto low loaders that they had deemed illegal and the drivers were being told to walk to the bus stop or arrange alternative transport!!! (never seen anything like it)

After 15 minutes of traffic cops going round my car and a couple of dozen questions later, the cop in charge said "off you go", honestly, I've never been so relieved

Be warned if you're on the A9 to Perth!!!!

Mike

[ScoobySounds]

bloody hell!

I don't think they'd worry about a decat.. would they?

[Mike M]

depends, could fail on emmissions and I don't want to have to pay for a sports cat or go back to standard!!

[st3ph3n]

Do they not just send you on to an MOT station for a retest?

[scoobyiain]

I think they give you one week to get another mot if you fail emissions on a spot check.

[cullenmin]

I think they give you one week to get another mot if you fail emissions on a spot check.

Could be 2 weeks, I seem to remember seeing a leaflet somewhere that said 14 days, not 100% sure though.

edit found this - http://www.vosa.gov.uk/vosacorp/repository...0Leaflet%20.pdf

Edited June 25, 2008 by Cullenmin

[Mike M]

I'm not sure, but certainly, I didn't fancy any of these options, I'm just happy I got away without a producer/retest/fine!!

God knows what was wrong with cars they took away on the low loader, my initial thought was maybe no insurance or possibly bad mechanicals, but the clio and corsa were only about 4/5 years old, so who knows!

I was keeping my head down and gob shut, although driving a blue scooby with big wing etc the car was probably doing the talking for me!!!

[paul555sti]

I'm not sure, but certainly, I didn't fancy any of these options, I'm just happy I got away without a producer/retest/fine!!

God knows what was wrong with cars they took away on the low loader, my initial thought was maybe no insurance or possibly bad mechanicals, but the clio and corsa were only about 4/5 years old, so who knows!

I was keeping my head down and gob shut, although driving a blue scooby with big wing etc the car was probably doing the talking for me!!!

Bald tyres or lack of insurance would be the main reasons they wouldnt let you drive away unless it was badly mechanically unsafe.

[colzo]

Close call Mike.

[Mike M]

trust me Colin, I was sweating!!!

[bigbird]

Lack of cat would mean an emmisions test with VOSA and probably as vehicle prohibition whoch means no driving it until the cat's back on.

Cars only get lifted for no licence/ insurance or ASBO reasons.

[G.Mac]

If your vehicle is found to be exceeding

the limits, you will be issued with a

prohibition notice stopping you from

using it.

If your vehicle is found to be seriously in

breach of the legal emissions limits the

prohibition will generally be delayed to

give you time to have the vehicle repaired

and brought back within the legal limits.

If other defects are also found which make

your vehicle dangerous for further use then

you will not be allowed to continue with

your journey until the vehicle is made safe.

In either case, you will have to have the

prohibition cleared within 14 days or you

will be liable to prosecution. The prohibition

notice will explain what you must do to

have it cleared.

Where vehicles are found to be very

seriously in breach of the emission limits,

or you have neglected maintenance, you

are likely to be prosecuted as well as

being required to put the faults right.

phew, thank goodness mine is over 3 times the limit so I should fall under paragraph 2,,,lol :D

edit ....oh bugger paragraph 5 could also affect me

Edited June 25, 2008 by G.Mac

[scoobykev]

i heard on the news they were checking for folk using red diesel

[jamesm]

i heard on the news they were checking for folk using red diesel

Terzo Neil is in France. They won't find him.

[P1_Paul]

What if they find you using cooking oil?

[Midnight21]

What if they find you using cooking oil?

Thats just as dear as diesel now lol

[speech]

What if they find you using cooking oil?

Using cooking oil itself is not an offence, but you must keep strict records of how much you are using and then at the end of the year if you have used over xxxxlitres you are liable to pay duty on the excess litres over that amount which you get to use "duty free".

If you were pulled over and found to be using it then they might choose to inform HM Revenue & Customs (or whatever they call themselves these days) that you use cooking oil and the tax man may show up at some point to inspect your records and claim his massive chunk of tax. Swines...........

[emoe]

Using cooking oil itself is not an offence, but you must keep strict records of how much you are using and then at the end of the year if you have used over xxxxlitres you are liable to pay duty on the excess litres over that amount which you get to use "duty free".

If you were pulled over and found to be using it then they might choose to inform HM Revenue & Customs (or whatever they call themselves these days) that you use cooking oil and the tax man may show up at some point to inspect your records and claim his massive chunk of tax. Swines...........

I agree.

a guy down here was running his van on cooking oil from Costco, and had NO records of how much he had used. When they checked him for Red, the found excess oil. So because he could not prove how long he had used the stuff, he was prosected and made to pay duty on the full Mileage, according to the Manufacturers Average MPG.

Luckily his van was only 6 months old!!

He showed us the forms and booklet he now has, showing what to do, and the amount of messing around, and paperwork and now cost of cooking oil per gallon, its really not worth it!!

[buffalo]

i'd have been kecking myself.

seen similar stuff on the tv (traffic cops). they took a merc off an essexs daddys girl as the car was not registered in her name and she didnt know who her insurance was with as 'daddy takes care off all that' the left her standing in the street it was crazy. at the end of the progamme it stated that she DID have insurance and was reunited with her car once she paid to have it released!!! all because the police were (for want of a better word) dicks!

another one the stopped (manchester) was a chanky bam mobile. a vectra or cavalier a cant quite remember but the took it off them because they were convince they were up to no good. reasons cited were (get this) different types of tyres, one was also a spare (rest alloys) the number plates were attached with velcro (so are mine) and the general condition off the car. it was obvious to me that the couple were just scummy with little money (you could tell by the 90's tracksuits lol) and thot the had a good looked 'pimped' car. the p[olice in my opion just took umbridge to the though i do admit i would trust them with a bag of rubbish so the police were probably jus looking for excuses to lift them.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ on the cooking oil thing, i dont know if it worth it as if you buy it filtered for your car it still costs 94p as you still have to pay the 60p in the pound fuel tax!!!! its a joke.

one of the dj's on clyde one was promoting someone in the town who was selling it 'at the amazing price of only 94p a litre'. Now to me taht aint amazing its ridiculuos as that what v-power etc should be not bloody cooking oil you've already paid tax on when you used it for its primary function. you should get a bleeding recycling grant and incentives to use it as it is in essence waste materials!!

Edited June 26, 2008 by buffalo

[G.Mac]

I found this after a bit of searching

Dear Sirs,

I am writing to you for clarification on a recent change in the law regarding duty payable on using vegetable oils as road fuel which came into effect on 30th June 2007.

I want to use ordinary SVO (new and unused rapeseed vegetable oil, i.e. Tesco cooking oil) as a road fuel in my diesel car.

Can I use less than 2500 litres per annum and not pay any additional duty?

(i.e. is this type of vegetable oil exempt from any duty as long as the 2500 litre per annum limit is not exceeded?)

I tried ringing your 0845 advice line but a definite and clear answer was not available to me.

Do I need to register in any way to use the above fuel substitute?

Please clarify the law as far as the above is concerned."

Today I received the following reply:

"Date 20 July 2007

Reference xxxxx

Dear Mr xxxxxxxxx

Vegetable Oil/DERV mixture

Thank you for your e-mail dated 15 July 2007 regarding the use of vegetable oil and DERV mixture in your car and whether you have to register with H M Revenue and Customs [HMRC].

The changes brought in under the ‘Biofuels Simplification’ [Revenue and Customs Brief 43/07] whereby producers of biofuels (or other fuel substitutes) who produce (or use) less than 2,500 litres per annum, will no longer be required to make entry, render returns or pay duty, are intended to cover both those who produce or use biofuels (such as biodiesel, or bioethanol), and those who produce or use other ‘fuel substitutes’ (such as vegetable oil).

Anyone producing (or using) more than 2,500 litres per annum will have to make entry of their premises (register), render returns and pay duty.

Where producers or users will exceed 2,500 litres per annum, then they need to make entry of their premises, render returns and pay duty in accordance with Public Notice 179e (which is currently being amended to reflect the recent changes).

For those producers who are ‘registered’ there will remain a continuing requirement for them to show that the fuel that they produce (or use) is Biodiesel (and meets the fiscal definition in HODA) and where this is not the case, they will continue to be liable to the higher rate of duty on the biofuel they produce (or use) at the higher Fuel Substitute rate.

Revenue and Customs Brief 43/07

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/briefs/excise-duty/brief4307.htm

Public Notice 179E

http://customs.hmrc.gov.uk/channelsPortalW...amp;_pageLabel= pageLibrary_PublicNoticesAndInfoSh eets&propertyType=document&columns=1&id=HMCE_CL_00 0205

I hope the above information is satisfactory, but if you have any further queries regarding this matter, please do not hesitate to contact the address shown above quoting our reference number.

Yours sincerely

Mr D J Emmerson

Written Enquiries Officer"

hope it helps

Graeme