Collecting an import car from Southampton docks

[ph47mf]

I want to see what you guys think.

My friend is an import car trader and he goes down to the docks every few weeks to collect the cars he has bought from Japan. He has trade plates and the correct insurance but no MOT on any of the cars. He wants to know whether driving these cars back to his business is actually legal?

To me, it hasn't got MOT, and it's not booked in for an MOT, even with trade plates (which is just road tax) and insurance, it doesn't prove it's roadworthy to driven on the road.

I have tried the useful Google function and no one has any definitive answer. A lot of people seem to do it all the time and never got stopped. Maybe I am wrong?

 

[Dippo]

This may help a bit.

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploa...t_data/file/605330/vtl301g-guidance-notes.pdf

 

[PobodY]

I read that as saying "if you're genuinely in the motor trade, you should be able to recognise when it's safe to drive a car".

So it's legal, but only for as long as you can justify not having the car on its own plates.

 

[jaymanek]

Technically its not legal. Trade plates only cover the road tax aspect. The car must be insured and MOT'd.

Even if you book it for MOT, it has to be an MOT centre within a reasonable distance.

Really, there arent many easy ways to do it legally and most in the trade just stick trade plates on and get on with it.

 

[jaymanek]

Just to add, the correct way is to have the cars transported on a truck from the docks.

 

[Wolfie1]

Wouldnt points 3,5,2 or 3,5,3, 3,5,4 or 4 cover him?

 

[E55BOF]

Technically its not legal. Trade plates only cover the road tax aspect. The car must be insured and MOT'd.

Even if you book it for MOT, it has to be an MOT centre within a reasonable distance.

Really, there arent many easy ways to do it legally and most in the trade just stick trade plates on and get on with it.

Pragmatic solution there. If you're on trade plates, the ANPR system can't tell what the vehicle's UK registration (if any) is, so won't flag it up as having no MoT. Unless there's a police/DVLA crackdown (and I suspect they've got bigger things to worry about, such as pukka UK-registered cars without tax, MoT and insurance), it's unlikely the dealers will get caught, or even that the police will be interested.

 

[PobodY]

Realistically if you've got insurance and tax, even the ANPR system doesn't flag a car without a current MOT. - I accidentally missed one a couple of years ago and drove for another year before I got the tax reminder and realised the MOT was 20 months old.

 

[Darrell]

Pragmatic solution there. If you're on trade plates, the ANPR system can't tell what the vehicle's UK registration (if any) is, so won't flag it up as having no MoT. Unless there's a police/DVLA crackdown (and I suspect they've got bigger things to worry about, such as pukka UK-registered cars without tax, MoT and insurance), it's unlikely the dealers will get caught, or even that the police will be interested.

Still against the law though isn’t it?

 

[Deleted member 6183]

Still against the law though isn’t it?

And a world of pain if involved in a crash.

 

[daveenty]

Just to add, the correct way is to have the cars transported on a truck from the docks.

Is the correct answer.

Years ago the traffic police (remember them?) had a saying of "Red on White, Stop on Sight"

 

[Darrell]

And a world of pain if involved in a crash.

My thoughts also.

 

[Deleted member 6183]

Tyres take a beating in Japan, although low mileages are typical they age badly due to the weather and the fact that they do low miles means that they can be rather elderly by the time the tread is low.

The Mrs had an MX5 imported, the first time I took it into the town centre I span it from a standing start entering a roundabout. 360 degrees spin right in the middle of town, the tyres were changed that afternoon.

 

[Deleted member 6183]

Span??

Spun FFS.

 

[daveenty]

Spinned

 

[PobodY]

Spundid?

 

[fabes]

Jay is correct (as you would expect)

Living in Southampton an acquaintance has three curtainsiders and moving Jap imports to either the local retailers or up country is all they do. It is the correct process

 

[IanGarland]

Yes using a car transporter is the correct way but what happens when you need to unload it and the (assumable) large vehicle can't get its ramps down on private property (a common issue) your back to square one, just less exposure to ANPR etc.

 

[ph47mf]

Thanks guys, just as I thought, he has been doing it illegally all these years. However he has never been caught so maybe the coppers had better things to do.

He goes down the 'driven' way because it's way cheaper.

 

[fabes]

His insurers would have a thing or two to say if he is ever involved in an accident though.
That would do his business no good.....