Police cars exempt from Road Tax?

[Oakey]

As per topic. Are they? I've only found one site listing vehicles that are exempt and it only states Fire Engines and Ambulances.

[Oakey]

Girlfriend got pulled over for talking on her phone (which, yes, is stupid), however I noticed the police car had no tax disc. When I pointed out their disc was missing the first officer said "Oh, er, it probably just fell out" (which is odd seeing as they slide in from the top). The second officer then chirped up "We're exempt anyway mate".

A case of one rule for them, another for us?

[Oakey]

Well as we were waiting another police car stopped briefly and i noticed it had a tax disc with an expiry. The one that pulled her had nothing, just an empty holder.

[Oakey]

I've phoned the police station and asked them myself. Apparently they have to display a tax disc as per any other driver on the road and if they aren't displaying tax it was suggested I report them to the DVLA as per any other vehicle without tax

Edited by Oakey on Friday 17th October 23:01

[Oakey]

Hollywood Wheels said:

Yes they are exempt from road tax. They still display one to avoid moaning whinging idiots talking about one rule for them etc...

That's not what they just told me at plod HQ....

You are Officer Number 2 AICMFP

Edited by Oakey on Friday 17th October 23:10

[Oakey]

Hollywood Wheels said:

Okay. So you're telling me that Police forces pay road tax for their vehicles? They don't by the way.....

it's still a requirement to display the disc as per any other exempt vehicle, to not do so is an offence as it would be for joe public. Are you suggesting the police should be above the law rather than lead by example?

[Oakey]

Greendubber said:

Oakey said:

Hollywood Wheels said:

Okay. So you're telling me that Police forces pay road tax for their vehicles? They don't by the way.....

it's still a requirement to display the disc as per any other exempt vehicle, to not do so is an offence as it would be for joe public. Are you suggesting the police should be above the law rather than lead by example?

Thats not what he's saying.

He said earlier they still display them because of 'whinging idiots'. Had it been joe public not displaying his disc on his exempt vehicle they'd probably be stinging them for sixty quid, no?

[Oakey]

They may be exempt but it's still a requirement to display the disc! But whatever, keep glossing over that fact whilst trying to defend your police brethren. When i phoned the police station to enquire, their attitutde went from polite to talking to me like complete st when i informed them this car wasn't displaying their disc. Is it any wonder there's so little respect for the police when they don't follow the rules they're trying to enforce?

As i said, had it been joe public failing to display a disc in his exempt vehicle the police would jump down his throat. I'm sure someone here suffered something like this with their vehicle.

[Oakey]

parapaul said:

To echo what others have said...

Police/Fire/Amb are exempt from paying VED, but that is all. The law states that a valid tax disc must be displayed and the law applies to everyone. The tax disc in an exempt vehicle simply says 'nil' in the section where the fee should go.

That's kind of the point i've been trying to make, clearly those serving officers here would like to argue the toss why they should be excluded from following the rules whilst they'd be all too eager to 'uphold the law' if it was a member of the public failing to abide by them.

[Oakey]

Greendubber said:

andmole said:

vonhosen said:

Brett928S2 said:

14-7 said:

Oakey said:

That's kind of the point i've been trying to make, clearly those serving officers here would like to argue the toss why they should be excluded from following the rules whilst they'd be all too eager to 'uphold the law' if it was a member of the public failing to abide by them.

So if a few cars in the local nick aren't displaying tax discs do you expect them not to use the vehicles?

Hi

YES !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

YOU CANNOT HAVE 1 LAW FOR US AND 1 FOR YOU

All the best Brett

Yep, no tax disc = don't take the vehicle out.

All other BiB take note, one of your own, who many (myself included) have a great deal of respect for, has spoken.

Noted, although its not as easy as that. A lot of the time you get turned out without having chance to check a vehicle. I know when I'm running across the car park to jump in a car to go out to a job I dont check if there's a tax disc. Perhaps I should but I'd rather be getting to where I'm needed than wasting more of my time doing pointless tasks....we have enough of them already.

Is there no requirement for each officer that takes out a vehicle to check it's roadworthy? Obviously I don't mean strip the damned thng down and put it back together, but just basic checks to make sure there's no issues?

[Oakey]

Hollywood Wheels said:

Nobody has said Police expect to live under another. The OP stated that the car that stopped his girlfriend had no disc. He has had it confirmed that it should have been displaying one, even though no tax is paid so it is in effect a worthless piece of paper. I would say that what IS pathetic is people being so bothered by that. People should be arguing that the tax discs for Police vehicles should just be gotten rid of. But no, this is SP&L, so it becomes just another page after page dig at the Police.

But if Joe Bloggs was driving about in his classic-road-tax-exempt car without displaying his disc / worthless bit of paper, and BiB should see this, he'd be getting a £60 fine would he not? Im sure one member here suffered this exact fate (although his was merely parked up outside his house).

Would be interesting to see what the response on here would have been had this thread been "Fined for not displaying my exempt road tax disc"

Edited by Oakey on Saturday 18th October 16:57

[Oakey]

Hollywood Wheels said:

Oakey said:

But if Joe Bloggs was driving about in his classic-road-tax-exempt car without displaying his disc / worthless bit of paper, and BiB should see this, he'd be getting a £60 fine would he not?

Not from me he wouldn't. I told you earlier, we're not robots.

Here's what I think. Any vehicle that is exempt shouldn't have to display one. Do you not agree with this?

And yes, I would pull Mr Bloggs. Then we'd have a nice chin-wag and I'd have a drool over his car before shaking his hand and wishing him well.

Yes I would agree with that, unfortunately it's not the case and whilst I admire that you'd be reasonable about it, most of our local plod seem a bit over-zealous. Numerous people tell me it's because Blackpool is a 'training area' and new recruits are eager to look good to their superiors. Load of twaddle or would there be truth in that?

Edited by Oakey on Saturday 18th October 17:16

[Oakey]

Going off topic for a second. Brett's posts make me laugh, it's the way he starts each post with 'hi' and a smile.

[Oakey]

^Slider^ said:

So are we all saying here that you want robotic enforcement of road traffic legislation here.

Because if you do, we certainly will oblige by robotically enforcing against everyone.

I thought that you all wanted discression and judgement to be used by police officers?

So how is half the posts here raging on about "one rule for them and one for us" "do the BiB for failing to display tax" using discression.

We use it often enough in favour of members of the public, How about we get cut some slack as well by the general public.

A seven page thread about failing to display a tax disk. What has this place come to.

How many of you have been stopped and advised / let off minor RTA offences by BiB?

You cant have it both ways im afraid.

I'm all for disrection, unfortunately as stated before, I'm in an area where there appears to be very little discretion due to trainees trying to make a good impression.