International motoring laws

[r.welfare]

Can't remember how long it lasted...10 years, probably. It was photocard though (2003) - of the "stand here in front of our £10 webcam please" variety. Even worse photo than the one on my CostCo membership card, and that's saying something...I had to succumb to a UK photocard when I came back to the UK and swapped it back, unfortunately.

[FredTransit]

ah well, just a though. I want to hang on to my paper license as long a possible.

[Pillock]

ah well, just a though. I want to hang on to my paper license as long a possible.

Do you mind if I ask why?I hear this a lot.... "Not taking my paper licence off me, don't want a photocard" but I can't fathom why. I used to like having a paper licence - I was one of the first of my group of mates to pass just before they introduced photocards, so I was a bit of an oddity - but I find the photocard much more useful. Easier to carry, not as likely to fall to bits, a useful form of ID for various tasks.

[FredTransit]

Well for a start they make you renew the pic every ten years, and you have to pay for that. That's at least two licenses I will have to pay for before it expires. Mine lasts till I am 70, exactly as it it unless I move. I object to stealth taxing like this.

[Rocket88]

There's no MOT in Guernsey but you do pay road tax (or you did, in 2002-04 when I was there). But it was a lot less than the UK equivalent. Policing of roadworthy vehicles is performed by the local constabulary via random roadside stops, which increase in frequency around Christmastime. I'd say that the lack of injuries/accidents/deaths is more down to the lower speed limits (25mph in town, 35mph outside) than anything else...As a UK resident on a fixed-term work contract there, I was required to swap my UK licence for a Guernsey one after 12 months - a simple procedure that required a visit to their equivalent of the DVLA. Failure to do this can result in having your UK licence confiscated and being forced to take a Guernsey driving test - this happened to one of my colleagues.Incidentally Guernsey used at that time (and maybe still do) gloriously antiquated, handwritten V5s.Car prices there seem to bottom out at £500 or so (or they did when I was there, going through non-trade methods i.e. the local classifieds!), but new/nearly-new prices are much lower than the mainland, mainly due to the lack of VAT. I nearly bought a brand-new Saab 9-3 2.2TiD when I left for £14k (about £4k less than the UK list). In order to get out of paying import duty and VAT, you need to be able to prove that you owned the car for >6 months in Guernsey, and cannot sell it within 12 months of your return to the mainland. Re-importation is a faff, requiring a UK Certificate of Conformity from the manufacturer in my case, despite the fact the Accord was built in Swindon to UK spec...Due to the size of the island (9 miles by 5) it was not unusual for most people I knew to clock up less than 1000 miles per year, particularly as most people walked to work. All the major manufacturers have a dealership, but Japanese imports (particularly Kei-cars and vans) were very popular, as were LHD supercars (due to the closeness of the islands to France).Guernsey has now followed Jersey in binning road tax, and followed the Jersey system with windscreen insurance discs. Thay also have computer generated V5's as does Jersey. Importing stuff into Guernsey is a doddle, no inspection to speak of, Jersey is a bit more stringent, but not as strict as it was 5 years ago.

[Guest]

When I worked for the Jersey vehicle authorities, it was regularly observed that "if you want to legitimise a stolen vehicle, have it registered in Guernsey first" !! Apparently a registration document would be issued to pretty much anything with wheels.