Any Jersey (Channel Islands) based PH'ers??

[Woody]

Chaps,
Looking for a bit of help here please.
Hoping to move to Jersey in the new year (job dependant).
Can anyone give the the SP on general motoring in Jersey (apart from the 40mph speed limit )?
Having hired cars there the last couple of times I've been over I know that petrol/deisel is cheaper.
What are things like road tax, servicing and MOT's etc like?
Also how easy is it to re-register a UK car? what sort of cost would I be looking at.
What about insurance? I take it standard UK companies cover the Channel Islands etc - are cost for insurance generally lower or higher?

Thanks in advance.

Chris

[Reload]

Don't live there but I know someone who did. Roundabouts are supposedly different, in terms of who has priority. They take it in turns, as oppose to the person to the right automatically having right of way. So one person enters the roundabout, then one person from the next entrance, then one person from the next etc. If that makes sense!

[205jsy]

Hi,

Petrol/diesel prices vary but on average it is about £1 per liter. Some places are closer to 90ppl for unleaded. There is no road tax or MOT's so none of that to worry about/pay for. Servicing is probably the same as over there. Main dealers are expensive but if you find a good indapendant you have nothing to worry about.

From what i gather registering a U.K car is relitavley easy and cheap. There is an inspection that needs to take place (costs about £80 ive been told) and then another £80 for a Jersey numberplate so not much at all. Insurance is alot cheaper then on the mainland (depends on your age it might not be a great difference) but at 17 i was paying £550 a year FC on a 1.9 205 Gti which i imagine is alot lower then on the mainland.

From my experience the 40mph speed limit is rarley enforced (apart from in built up areas) and there are some nice country roads where the police will turn a blind eye or just give you a telling off.

[Woody]

205jsy said:

Hi,

Petrol/diesel prices vary but on average it is about £1 per liter. Some places are closer to 90ppl for unleaded. There is no road tax or MOT's so none of that to worry about/pay for. Servicing is probably the same as over there. Main dealers are expensive but if you find a good indapendant you have nothing to worry about.

From what i gather registering a U.K car is relitavley easy and cheap. There is an inspection that needs to take place (costs about £80 ive been told) and then another £80 for a Jersey numberplate so not much at all. Insurance is alot cheaper then on the mainland (depends on your age it might not be a great difference) but at 17 i was paying £550 a year FC on a 1.9 205 Gti which i imagine is alot lower then on the mainland.

From my experience the 40mph speed limit is rarley enforced (apart from in built up areas) and there are some nice country roads where the police will turn a blind eye or just give you a telling off.

Thanks for the reply.
No road tax = sweet
with no MOT how is the roadworthyness (is that a word???) checked and monitored?

[McSam]

Roadworthiness is indeed a word, and I second the question with no MOTs!

Interesting one, this, I lack the means to move to Jersey but always liked the idea - been put off by the apparent restrictions on motoring, so it's good to hear otherwise! The hill-climbs done at Bouley Bay are excellent too

Edited by McSam on Monday 6th September 13:52

[205jsy]

Woody said:

Thanks for the reply.
No road tax = sweet
with no MOT how is the roadworthyness (is that a word???) checked and monitored?

They arent generally monitored or checked so you have to be alot more cautious when buying a car as some of them would never pass an MOT. A few times a year some volunteer police (usually old men with beards) stand on the side of the road and check your lights and tyres and thats about it.

Edited by 205jsy on Monday 6th September 14:07

[Woody]

205jsy said:

Woody said:

Thanks for the reply.
No road tax = sweet
with no MOT how is the roadworthyness (is that a word???) checked and monitored?

They arent generally monitored or checked so you have to be alot more cautious when buying a car as some of them would never pass an MOT. A few times a year some volunteer police (usually old men with beards) stand on the side of the road and check your lights and tyres and thats about it.

Edited by 205jsy on Monday 6th September 14:07

Cheers for that.
Presumably then the best thing to do is ask the garage to give it a good look over at service time then?

Had a quick look on the States of Jersey website and there's something about VED and emmissions. Is this a 'one off' payment?
(sorry for all the questions)

[205jsy]

I haven't actually heard of that yet but looking on the website it seems to have only been introduced last week.

http://www.gov.je/Travel/Motoring/BuyingSellingVeh...

It says that for a 2nd hand car the cost is reduced and there is a calculator to see how much it will cost. It appears to be one off payment when registering the vehicle.

As you said its best to just get the mechanic servicing your car to check it over yearly as you would do with an MOT anyway.

[Roo]

They have some good motorsport in Jersey.

Beach racing was always good to watch and a friend of mine organises the speed festival in the summer and the sprint and hillclimb in August.

[Woody]

Roo said:

They have some good motorsport in Jersey.

Beach racing was always good to watch and a friend of mine organises the speed festival in the summer and the sprint and hillclimb in August.

The hill climb & sprints look good.
Managed to catch a bit of one when I was over in July (down by the water splash - not sure which bay/beach that is - sorry).
I also hear the local kart club close of a section of road for the circuit - looking forward to going and watching it.

[nickphuket]

I am from Guernsey ( the 'other' channel island!!). No Mots so you can have a fruity exhaust if you want. Fines for moinr traffic offences are draconian. Get three speeding tickets and you are walking for a year. Insurance is dirt cheap, there was a company called Foresters(I think) that sold a policy where you could insure multiple cars/bikes for a single driver for a single premium. I had GSX1200, Hayabusa, Impreza when I was 32 for the princely sum of 250GBP!!!!!! Read that and weep!!!!!!

NO crime worth the mention, in Guernsey any loans are offset against your tax bill.

Get over there and enjoy, but remember to leave the island for at least a week every 3 months or you will go mad.

Enjoy

[Woody]

nickphuket said:

I am from Guernsey ( the 'other' channel island!!). No Mots so you can have a fruity exhaust if you want. Fines for moinr traffic offences are draconian. Get three speeding tickets and you are walking for a year. Insurance is dirt cheap, there was a company called Foresters(I think) that sold a policy where you could insure multiple cars/bikes for a single driver for a single premium. I had GSX1200, Hayabusa, Impreza when I was 32 for the princely sum of 250GBP!!!!!! Read that and weep!!!!!!

NO crime worth the mention, in Guernsey any loans are offset against your tax bill.

Get over there and enjoy, but remember to leave the island for at least a week every 3 months or you will go mad.

Enjoy

Cheers.
Still can't get my head around the no MOT though.
Whats to stop you driving around in a shed with 4 bald tyres and knackered brakes?

Just done a quick couple of insurance quotes based on my GF's address - less than half what I'd pay here in Brum

[bartesque]

Woody said:

nickphuket said:

I am from Guernsey ( the 'other' channel island!!). No Mots so you can have a fruity exhaust if you want. Fines for moinr traffic offences are draconian. Get three speeding tickets and you are walking for a year. Insurance is dirt cheap, there was a company called Foresters(I think) that sold a policy where you could insure multiple cars/bikes for a single driver for a single premium. I had GSX1200, Hayabusa, Impreza when I was 32 for the princely sum of 250GBP!!!!!! Read that and weep!!!!!!

NO crime worth the mention, in Guernsey any loans are offset against your tax bill.

Get over there and enjoy, but remember to leave the island for at least a week every 3 months or you will go mad.

Enjoy

Cheers.
Still can't get my head around the no MOT though.
Whats to stop you driving around in a shed with 4 bald tyres and knackered brakes?

Just done a quick couple of insurance quotes based on my GF's address - less than half what I'd pay here in Brum

Believe me there are plenty of death traps driving around always be wary that the car in front will not have brake lights

to make matters worse the drivers (in guernsey anyhow are shocking) expect people to stop dead just to let a car pull out from a side road

[Woody]

So far my Jersey driving experiences have been OK.
Granted people probably stay away from me as I've had a hire car (with the dreaded H plate lol), and I've seen some pretty bad driving from other hire car users.
Will be taking my Golf over with me when I visit again in October.

Anyone got any useful tips for registering cars/changing driving licence etc?

Also will I have to pay import duty on my car when I move over?

Cheers

Chris

[david_h]

My brother has been in Jersey about 10 years now, and I go regularly.

Last year I imported a Toyota from the UK to Jersey and registered it there. The second hand car market in Jersey is a racket and everything is too expensive. People are obsessed with low mileage cars yet many are rarely serviced and would fail an MOT in the UK.

The Yaris costs were:
GST at 3% on the 2nd hand purchase price(like our VAT at 17.5%, payable to States of Jersey)
DVS registration £62.40 (Driver Vehicle Services?)
Ferry cost £134 (Condor Ferries)

I have a funny feeling you don't have to pay the GST if you are going to keep the car for more than a year and not sell it on.

You have to book an inspection before you can get your Jersey plates. The inspection is a bit of a joke, they spent around 2mins looking over the Yaris. The wait time for an inspection was 3 weeks when I did it, until then it was driven on UK plates.

Motormall is the cheapest place for fuel, good 20p a litre less than the UK.

I find the roads soo narrow and full of blind bends, you want as small a car as possible. Hot hatches are the best, even a Mk5 golf feels big on the island.

[Woody]

david_h said:

My brother has been in Jersey about 10 years now, and I go regularly.

Last year I imported a Toyota from the UK to Jersey and registered it there. The second hand car market in Jersey is a racket and everything is too expensive. People are obsessed with low mileage cars yet many are rarely serviced and would fail an MOT in the UK.

The Yaris costs were:
GST at 3% on the 2nd hand purchase price(like our VAT at 17.5%, payable to States of Jersey)
DVS registration £62.40 (Driver Vehicle Services?)
Ferry cost £134 (Condor Ferries)

I have a funny feeling you don't have to pay the GST if you are going to keep the car for more than a year and not sell it on.

You have to book an inspection before you can get your Jersey plates. The inspection is a bit of a joke, they spent around 2mins looking over the Yaris. The wait time for an inspection was 3 weeks when I did it, until then it was driven on UK plates.

Motormall is the cheapest place for fuel, good 20p a litre less than the UK.

I find the roads soo narrow and full of blind bends, you want as small a car as possible. Hot hatches are the best, even a Mk5 golf feels big on the island.

Thanks for the info.

Motormall is where I go for petrol - just round the corner from the GF's Mum's place.

Will be looking at a slightly bigger car than my Golf when I go over - need space for 2 kids, push chairs and a wheelchair.

Might drop the transport department (or what ever they're called) an email about the processes I need to go through.

Thanks again guys!

Edited by Woody on Monday 6th September 19:19