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I have just tried to tax one of my pre 1960 buses on line, but it is telling me the vehicle needs an MOT, which is incorrect, I have rang DVLA this morning, but they tell me the MOT side id controlled by VOSA, so I rang them, they say the vehicle must me taxed at a Post office, and I must fill in a V112G every year.
Last year I taxed it on line, no problem.
Has anyone else come across this blip?
And, does that sound correct?
Thanks
Rob
The simple solution that I have now used for years is to have the MOT and the tax expire at different times.
My classic cars ( and now my work car all have MOTs expire in late spring/early summer.
This is to enable enough daylight time and decent enough weather to make any rectifications should any fail the test .
But it also means that whenever the tax expires, the renewal can be done without red tape.
The one time I did not do this, I had the same old nonsense about going to the post office, where apart from the queue, was done in seconds.
The thing is, Rob's RM7 and our GSs don't need MOTs any-more so they don't expire. As they have dates of first registration pre-1960 on their V5s the on-line system should know.
This will start to affect more RM owners if the date of first use that exempts from MOTs rolls forward as is being discussed at the moment.
My bus number (if any): RMs 238, 471. 2213 & GS17
https://www.vehicleenquiry.service.gov.uk/Default.aspx
this will if you input the reg and the make as per exactly what is on log book will confirm all details that should match log book
I have not had a problem taxing anything online mot exempt or not
My bus number (if any): RM1414 sort of
Just taxed my historic vehicle online without issue. 12 months at £0.00 was the only option. It doesn't require an MOT (although just had an equivalent inspection done anyway).
It does now mean that I can display a 1951 tax disc if I want to (I found a suitable image online to use as a template and the details were hand written in those days anyway - I just need to learn to write like someone would have in 1951!)
My bus number (if any): RT3316
I now MOT my exempt vehicle as a matter of course. I just want to know that it is as it should be and fit for public road use by a certificated inspector.
But have noticed that the DVLA site still checks that the vehicle has a valid MOT even though it is exempt. So clearly the information is passed from VOSA to the DVLA. As it is still a newish exemption and they are now changing the website operation either there's a communication or technical problem and staff have not yet been clearly informed.
It should not make any difference whether its a 1960 Morris Minor or a 1960 AEC/PRV Routemaster, Taxed as Historic is the same category with the same qualifying criteria.
I wonder if the confusion is a legacy of LT's licensing department and the juggling about of registrations and chassis/body numbers and that somehow confusion of detail exists on the DVLA database which was first compiled in 1975.
It was of course, possible to have a 1959 RM outshopped from the works as a 1965 RM and whilst records were kept by LT, it could be anybody's guess as to what went to the DoT/DVLA or what they did with the information supplied by LT.
As many who have ever dealt with the DVLA over the last few decades, confusion often reigns over the most simple of queries and the LT overhaul system could be quite mentally challenging.
There is always someone at the DVLA or VOSA who is fully conversant but it's finding them.
Mmmm road tax is probably done on RMs as it always was using the registration plate. Nothing whatsoever to do with bodies, body numbers etc RM chassis number is its stock number, which ties to reg plate.
My bus number (if any): RTL 960 RMC 1458, RM 1585 and loads of RTs
Road tax is done on the date of first registration UNLESS it's proven that the vehicle is much older than that. In 1990ish I rebuilt a 1928 Scammell which had never been registered as it always ran on trade plates. It was given the number DS8883, a nightmare for the signwriter!!
We've already discussed the RM rebuild programme elsewhere on here.
My bus number (if any): GS67 RML2532
About 12 years ago, we had to reregister an RM that had been on a SORN for a few years to be able to tax it.
There was no online then. But the post office would not tax it.
Obviously this will have been when MOTs were mandatory.
I won't give the particular RM concerned as I've not been in contact with he owner.
It was a 1960 built model first registered in 1960 and entered service in 1961.
It had a late A frame fitted in 1971 from accident damage and a B frame from a late 1965 RM
The DVLA would not have it. They insisted it was another vehicle - in this case a sister RM still in London Service!
Whilst we had just the one document for it - It's Vehicle registration as supplied by LT bus sales, it's only previous owner.
Two inspections were arranged. Running on Trade plates. The first one drew a blank. The second one at Stanmore, a lady from Swansea turned up with a ream of copied documents all from LT.
After the inspection, which revealed 3 Possible identities, all of vehicles still in London Service!! 4 people pored over the documents. All from LT licencing dept. It took over two hours but it did reveal that the registration plate as per the Vehicle Registration Document did not match the details they held of the vehicle. It was confusing but in the end, they were satisfied that the bus was wearing the correct registration number.
The Very helpful DVLA staff were as intrigued as we were, but it was helped and solved by a local Stanmore staffer who had worked in LTs licensing office, even spotting his own signature on one form!
The final solution was that the bus was inspected again and a new Vehicle Registration document issued with just the details from the inspection placed on the database.
Ironically, the bus was exported several years later and reregistered prior to export!!
It had a late A frame fitted in 1971 from accident damage and a B frame from a late 1965 RM
The DVLA would not have it. They insisted it was another vehicle - in this case a sister RM still in London Service!
The chassis number in the log book or V5 for an RM is the RM number. A and B frame numbers didn't come into it, nor original AEC "chassis" numbers. So if the registration was 650 DYE the chassis number is RM1650. It can only have been made complicated by people who didn't know what they were doing swapping about registrations and stock numbers and/or quoting A and B frame numbers like some in Scotland have been.
My bus number (if any): RTL 960 RMC 1458, RM 1585 and loads of RTs
As I said, the only documentation we had was it's V5. Nothing else was presented on our part.
The Post Office rejected the renewal because of the SORN declaration.
It was the DVLA who questioned it's identity. And got more confused by the documents the DVLA provided ex LT.
So the confusion was not down to us or the owner simply trying to tax a vehicle. Trouble was what should have taken an hour took 5 weeks.
It was used on trade plates for the interim.
Well, Guess What?
I tried again today, and I was able to tax my RT on line, no problem, first time.
I can't explain that.
I think that I would still like to display a current tax disc, Mark K, I am sure you could wizz some up on your computer?
Rob
THat's an Interesting thought.
Somewhere I do have some repro 1950s tax discs .
But what if repro ones were made for futere dates of expiry ie 31.10.18 ?
It was illegal as it would be considered forgery or fraud but now the Tax Disc is no more, replicas with dates never to be issued cannot be deemed as such.
It could act as a handy reminder for when the voluntary MOT or heritage tax renewal is due
Maybe if I can get hold of some 1959 to 1968 samples in various colours, I might be able to produce some replicas
Personally I think ending the Tax disc is bonkers, quite how ANRS is going to read vehicle plates in streets where cars are parked bumper to bumper and almost impossible to read by eye is one question the authorities are keen not to answer. Streets will be littered with untaxed vehicles and probably a rise in cloned plates.
This is a company I briefly looked at buying in 2008. Wish I had now!
http://www.britishtaxdiscs.co.uk/index.php
David
My bus number (if any): RML 2276 M1001 T806
