SO MANY COACHES ON ROAD WITH IRISH REG. Nos ... WHY ?

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johnsco

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For some years, I have often seen coaches (not buses) on the roads with Irish Reg. Nos.
Anyone know the reason why ?
Is it some sort of tax scam ?
Or what ?
 
I think it just takes the year of registration off them. A quick respray on a coach and you would never know what year it really is. Unless of course you are a coach anorak.
 
I suspect it is to hide the true age of the vehicles in order to avoid the public perception that they are running old vehicles.
 
Or...it's something to do with type approval.

Do you mean Irish, or Northern Irish?
 
One of my motors has the Northern Irish reg plate on it of MBZ 1940. Its coming off onto retention and its going back on its "H" plate. I dont give a rats who thinks its an old 'un. (Wonder if I could flog the plate to a coach company)
 
I suspect it is to hide the true age of the vehicles in order to avoid the public perception that they are running old vehicles.

This is the reason, plus the Irish format plates are cheap and plentiful.
 
I suspect it is to hide the true age of the vehicles in order to avoid the public perception that they are running old vehicles.

Remember the hoo-ha a while back over 20 year old remoulds?

What about 20 year old coaches










..and trains, lorries, aeroplanes, cruise ships, etc.
 
Remember the hoo-ha a while back over 20 year old remoulds?

What about 20 year old coaches










..and trains, lorries, aeroplanes, cruise ships, etc.

And condoms..........
 
I guess you NI reg because my reg has the year on it..i.e 12 D 12345
 
I guess you NI reg because my reg has the year on it..i.e 12 D 12345

Given that owners of pre-1987 cars can opt to have them re-registered under the current system, how are the authorities coping with the possibility of duplicated plates, ie: in theory, a 1912 car could end up with the same plate as a 2012 car. I know they haven't reserved the lower serial numbers for each year, as they tend to end up on mayoral cars (and coaches...), so presumably someone wishing to re-register a 1912 car (not that they would) would just get the next available number from the 2012 series (eg: 12 D 12346)?
 
Coach companies have been using cheap 'dateless' plates for decades to hide the age of their vehicles. More recently, you're more likely to see plates bought from the DVLA on coaches, specifically selected to relate to the company's name.

By the way, the latest batch of new "Boris buses" have sequentially-issued NI plates. Must have something to do with the fact that they were built there...
 
Thank you, all, for the interesting replies.
I do, of course, refer to Northern Irish registrations.
There are a hell-of-a-lot of coaches with these reg's.
And - Yes - Many of them are a bit long in the tooth.

Even a cynical old bar-steward like me never clicked that it was to hide the real age of old bangers.
Or - Should that be old chara-bangers ?!
 
Coach companies have been using cheap 'dateless' plates for decades to hide the age of their vehicles. More recently, you're more likely to see plates bought from the DVLA on coaches, specifically selected to relate to the company's name.

By the way, the latest batch of new "Boris buses" have sequentially-issued NI plates. Must have something to do with the fact that they were built there...

I did wonder about the NI plates on the new Boris buses. I thought TFL might have just bought a few dozen of them to put on the new buses simply to spend a bit of £££!
 
I did wonder about the NI plates on the new Boris buses. I thought TFL might have just bought a few dozen of them to put on the new buses simply to spend a bit of £££!

I'm sure it's purely coincidental that they all start LTZ... (as in London Transport'z - even if the are called TfL these days).
 
Given that owners of pre-1987 cars can opt to have them re-registered under the current system, how are the authorities coping with the possibility of duplicated plates, ie: in theory, a 1912 car could end up with the same plate as a 2012 car. I know they haven't reserved the lower serial numbers for each year, as they tend to end up on mayoral cars (and coaches...), so presumably someone wishing to re-register a 1912 car (not that they would) would just get the next available number from the 2012 series (eg: 12 D 12346)?

The reg system has changed this year in Ireland . We now have 2 reg changes per year like in the UK . Ours are on January 1 and July 1 . This on January 1 we had the 131 plate , ie 131 D 1 etc , then on July 1 we had the 132 , 132 D 1 etc .
The lower numbers being reserved was abolished a few years back and instead of starting the numbers at 250 and leaving the lower numbers for reserve .
 
The reg system has changed this year in Ireland . We now have 2 reg changes per year like in the UK . Ours are on January 1 and July 1 . This on January 1 we had the 131 plate , ie 131 D 1 etc , then on July 1 we had the 132 , 132 D 1 etc .
The lower numbers being reserved was abolished a few years back and instead of starting the numbers at 250 and leaving the lower numbers for reserve .

I was wondering about that just today having spotted two 131 cars...thanks.
 

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