Effect on Motoring: independent Scotland

[LotusOmega375D]

Let's forget about all the Politics etc. for a moment, but what would be the actual differences for us motorists if Scotland voted out of the UK?

Starting from the beginning.

Buying a car: if Scotland ended up with a new currency, would that reduce the number of cross-border transactions as people tended to stick to their own currency?

Finance: would a dealer be able to offer this if you live in the other country?

Registration: would Scotland need to establish/fund their own DVLA?

Insurance: would your policy automatically cover you when driving in the other country? Would a car bought from the other country be considered an "Import" and suffer a higher premium accordingly?

MOT: would this be valid in both countries, or need re-MOT-ing upon import?

Fuel: would a local industry of border filling stations pop up to exploit any price differences? If so who would be cheaper? I'm guessing Scotland...

Breakdown cover: would this automatically cover the other country at no extra cost?

Highway Maintenance: I assume each country would fund this themselves. Which one would be the net "winner"?

Endorsements/Fines: could these applied cross-border?

Highway rules & speed limits: does Scotland have any plans to change anything? A section of derestricted Scottish "Autobahn" would be nice.

Anyone else have any ideas or opinions? Try and keep them to vehicles though, so that the Mods don't move the thread to the wilderness of another non-motoring forum!

[aw51 121565]

Who can tell? How 'independent' will an independent Scotland be? Will every item you've listed arise? Some of them? Even more? My reading of your post looks to me like the NI & Eire situation - will it be like this? Who can tell at this stage .



One man's ego and a lot of potential unintended consequences, if the majority of those voting vote 'Yes' to an independent Scotland . None of the potential effects on Motoring (for a start) will have been considered, I am sure .

[kambites]

One would imagine it will become similar to whatever happens between Northern Ireland and Éire.

[Truckosaurus]

LotusOmega375D said:

Fuel: would a local industry of border filling stations pop up to exploit any price differences? If so who would be cheaper? I'm guessing Scotland...

Of course, the best way of making Scotland flourish after any independence would be to make it a tax haven with lower rates on all taxes than rUK, but as the SNP are tax-and-spend types then that is unlikely to happen.

Most of the other issues listed would depend if Scotland is part of the EU or not.

[TheJimi]

LotusOmega375D said:

Highway rules & speed limits: does Scotland have any plans to change anything? A section of derestricted Scottish "Autobahn" would be nice.

There's about as much chance of that happening as William Wallace coming back from the grave to lead an independant Scotland.

[TooMany2cvs]

LotusOmega375D said:

but what would be the actual differences for us motorists if Scotland voted out of the UK?

Pretty much the same as between the UK and Ireland, or France, or Germany, or Italy, or Romania... but without the long drive and boat.

kambites said:

One would imagine it will become similar to whatever happens between Northern Ireland and Éire.

• ding* - that's the closest we've got to go on at the moment, although there'd be the whole CTA/Schengen question to resolve in the medium term.

LotusOmega375D said:

Buying a car: if Scotland ended up with a new currency, would that reduce the number of cross-border transactions as people tended to stick to their own currency?

I don't think that'd be the issue, so much as the registration transfer. But, around the borders, people'd be used to both anyway.

LotusOmega375D said:

Finance: would a dealer be able to offer this if you live in the other country?

Yes, but not as straightforwardly as now.

LotusOmega375D said:

Registration: would Scotland need to establish/fund their own DVLA?

Of course they would.

LotusOmega375D said:

Insurance: would your policy automatically cover you when driving in the other country?

Yes, just as with any other EU country, they have to by law - but that only has to be bare-minimum (TPO) cover. Most insurers give your normal full cover for a month or so anyway.

LotusOmega375D said:

Would a car bought from the other country be considered an "Import" and suffer a higher premium accordingly?

Definitely it'd be an import. Whether the premium would change depends on the insurer.

LotusOmega375D said:

MOT: would this be valid in both countries, or need re-MOT-ing upon import?

Nope, it'd need re-testing

LotusOmega375D said:

Fuel: would a local industry of border filling stations pop up to exploit any price differences?

Almost certainly.

LotusOmega375D said:

If so who would be cheaper? I'm guessing Scotland...

It'd depend entirely on tax regimes.

LotusOmega375D said:

Breakdown cover: would this automatically cover the other country at no extra cost?

Not as they are now - but I think we'd start to see more UK policies covering Scotland, mebbe all EU countries.

LotusOmega375D said:

Highway Maintenance: I assume each country would fund this themselves. Which one would be the net "winner"?

<shrug>

LotusOmega375D said:

Endorsements/Fines: could these applied cross-border?

Not as it sits now.

LotusOmega375D said:

Highway rules & speed limits: does Scotland have any plans to change anything? A section of derestricted Scottish "Autobahn" would be nice.

<ducks flying pig> I think there might be a few people shouting "GET THE A9 SORTED FIRST!"...

Truckosaurus said:

Most of the other issues listed would depend if Scotland is part of the EU or not.

No, not really. Nor would it depend on if the UK stayed in the EU. Look at the border between Sweden and Norway, or Switzerland and any of their neighbours. Of course, they're both Schengen countries - so no passport control. If Scotland joined Schengen, then realistically the current CTA would have to, too - else a physical border would have to be erected.

Edited by TooMany2cvs on Friday 6th June 11:39

[Motorrad]

Scotland will switch to driving on the right. That way they can really be part of Europe.

[r11co]

LotusOmega375D said:

Let's forget about all the Politics etc. for a moment,

Unfortunately you can't, and it is exactly these sorts of issues that the SNP do not want discussed because they know sorting these things out will cause pain and hassle, both financially and practically.

Salmond tells us that he will be able to pick-and-choose between those services and resources he would like claim for himself and those he would leave rGB to handle because 'it would be in their best interests to'. It's a weasily answer from a weasily person.

The reality is he doesn't care, because once we are over the line he has achieved his lifetime goal and what happens afterwards is of no consequence to him.

[TooMany2cvs]

r11co said:

The reality is he doesn't care, because once we are over the line he has achieved his lifetime goal and what happens afterwards is of no consequence to him.

I still reckon that Salmond's optimum outcome is a very narrow "No". He can then use that to beat Westminster into increasing devolution and funding, whilst not having to deal with the reality of setting up all the apparatus of state in short order.

[forzaminardi]

I understand that virtually nothing would change in the short and medium term, simply because Scotland doesn't have (and without billions of pounds, will never have) the systems and bureaucracy to manage things like vehicle registration and tax, let alone more complex organisations like national health, personal and corporate tax, etc. etc.

What will happen is that Scotland will subcontract British ('English') organisations, such as the DVLA, to take care of things. Although effectively they'll be doing exactly what they have done before, they will make a charge for the added hassle of working for a Scottish government, which in turn will be passed onto Scottish and British motorists and taxpayers.

[ShaunTheSheep]

I'm just looking forward to the derestricted M74...

[arcticfire]

If Scotland go independent we'll end up being taxed into oblivion, so I don't think any of us will be able to afford a car never mind worry about how all the relevant services are taken care of lol

[OlberJ]

Even when it's said to leave politics out, it's already turned into the Salmond hate show. Well done.

[marshalla]

TooMany2cvs said:

Pretty much the same as between the UK and Ireland, or France, or Germany, or Italy, or Romania... but without the long drive and boat.

Only if it became/remained an EU member or a "special relationship" agreement was put in place to allow similar freedom of trade & movement.

Otherwise - more like doing business with the USA.

[Riley Blue]

'Thistle' brand petrol?

[Leins]

kambites said:

One would imagine it will become similar to whatever happens between Northern Ireland and Éire.

I hope for anyone with a car in Scotland it doesn't become like here in ROI/Eire! Taxed to the hilt with VRT (aka import duties) & RFL for anything remotely interesting

[TooMany2cvs]

OlberJ said:

Even when it's said to leave politics out, it's already turned into the Salmond hate show. Well done.

Don't think it has. It's impossible to leave the realities of the main personality behind independence out - and it's impossible to give any kind of answer without speculating on the various directions in which it could go.

[GreigM]

Leins said:

I hope for anyone with a car in Scotland it doesn't become like here in ROI/Eire! Taxed to the hilt with VRT (aka import duties) & RFL for anything remotely interesting

Indeed, would be a terrible situation.

Also, what would happen to my cherised reg plates? I know they are hated on PH but I have a fair bit of cash invested which I wouldn't want to disappear with a new registration system. Too many unanswered questions for me.

[TooMany2cvs]

GreigM said:

Also, what would happen to my cherised reg plates? I know they are hated on PH but I have a fair bit of cash invested which I wouldn't want to disappear with a new registration system.

You would, of course, be able to sell them to anybody still within the UK.

[GreigM]

TooMany2cvs said:

You would, of course, be able to sell them to anybody still within the UK.

A somewhat reduced market who may not want them. They have value to me, I've paid to use them, this doesn't mean I can re-sell at all never mind at the cost involved in acquiring them. I'd also imagine after a grace period the DVLA would insist that a foreign national cannot hold these registrations and if not sold in that time I can wave bye-bye to them.