Scotlands tourist tax...

[nabsim]

At the risk of getting political -- devolution is what makes it different. From April 1st (for example, and nice choice of day) you could end up in prison for saying something in England that inadvertently offends someone in Scotland -- and it's retrospective as the 'offence' is committed at the point of publication (i.e. when the person in Scotland sees the 'offending' matter). That said, the Scottish elite might be about to get hoisted by their own petard over this (see below)...

It's supposed to be one United Kingdom. I don't see why I, who live in Cornwall, should have to pay a tax to visit my niece (who lives in Perthshire) any more than why she should pay a tax to visit me. That said, in the grand scheme of things, it usually takes me a week or so to slowly wend my way in either direction, costs me ~£350 in fuel and an average of £40/night in pub grub, campsite fees, overnight parking fees, etc. So £40 for a bumper sticker wouldn't stop me. However, it would encourage me adopt a 'more entitled' attitude...

Now for that petard thing...
The "Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act 2021" makes it an offence to stir up hatred against any member of a group defined by reference to any specified characteristic, which includes Age. Now the average age of motorhomers (AFAICT) is well north of the population median and those most likely to be (e.g.) doing the NC500 outside the holiday season are pensioners. So, from April 1st., surely any act that can be perceived to be anti-motorhome must be de-facto ageism, and hence unlawful?!

ooooh, does that mean that as a new age traveller i get special privileges?

 

[marchie]

There is/was a free aire in Penkridge ?
Also impressed with rant . Though tad disappointed you didn't mention fairground vehicles

The Aire was at the Lock Gate Boatyard and cost £10, including services (EHU extra - £4 IIRC)

Fairground vehicles feature only in my considered posts/replies to the nonsense that is the Burntisland Summer Fare and the Glasgow LEZ exemption for 1967 ERC wagons, replete with open diesel engine generator on rear platform ...

Steve

 

[nabsim]

The Aire was at the Lock Gate Boatyard and cost £10, including services (EHU extra - £4 IIRC)

Fairground vehicles feature only in my considered posts/replies to the nonsense that is the Burntisland Summer Fare and the Glasgow LEZ exemption for 1967 ERC wagons, replete with open diesel engine generator on rear platform ...

Steve

You may find fairground vehicles are exempt from clean air/LEZ charges as well Steve lol

 

[marchie]

You may find fairground vehicles are exempt from clean air/LEZ charges as well Steve lol

I know, Neil. Those and the Classic Cars exemptions (which date back to the time that leaded petrol was linked to physical health and delayed/impaired intellectual development), not to mention bloody wood stoves ...

Steve

 

[nabsim]

I know, Neil. Those and the Classic Cars exemptions (which date back to the time that leaded petrol was linked to physical health and delayed/impaired intellectual development), not to mention bloody wood stoves ...

Steve

I think you are under the mistaken belief that Led and ULEZ are something to do with the environment Steve. How many times do I have to say they are just another tax that councils are being allowed to introduce. Time everyone stood up and said enough but this is Britain so it won't happen

 

[trevskoda]

I know, Neil. Those and the Classic Cars exemptions (which date back to the time that leaded petrol was linked to physical health and delayed/impaired intellectual development), not to mention bloody wood stoves ...

Steve

That explains the way i amz.

 

[El radge]

The Aire was at the Lock Gate Boatyard and cost £10, including services (EHU extra - £4 IIRC)

Yea parking (not actually an aire) I was referring to is on the north side of Penkridge.
No facilities but free

Fairground vehicles feature only in my considered posts/replies to the nonsense that is the Burntisland Summer Fare and the Glasgow LEZ exemption for 1967 ERC wagons, replete with open diesel engine generator on rear platform ...

Steve

I am aware of that . Not saying you're wrong but it never fails to amuse me .
Can't say why

 

[Pudsey Bear]

More than just Glasgow but others my be called LEZ, they are coming into effect in the next month or so

Edit: It just came back on the radio news so... Glasgow, Dundee, Edinburgh and Aberdeen have LEZ imminent

Fortunately, I signed up for exemption last year Neil.

 

[gasgas]

I have a 40 yr old car and I looked to see if it is London exempt - no it's not. I have to pay to see my mate one mile inside the M25. So historic cars are apparently not exempt. Also a Honda 90 has to pay although it does 125mpg so how much pollution do you think it emits? They measure it by the percentage pollution in the exhaust. So 5% of pollution in one litre of exhaust matters, but 1% of pollution from 100 litres of Euro 6 exhaust doesn't matter. The fact is that a Euro6 wagon can drive ten miles without paying a penalty whereas an adult travelling 100 miles on a Honda 90 using the same amount of fuel and producing less pollution has to pay.

 

[trevskoda]

I have a 40 yr old car and I looked to see if it is London exempt - no it's not. I have to pay to see my mate one mile inside the M25. So historic cars are apparently not exempt. Also a Honda 90 has to pay although it does 125mpg so how much pollution do you think it emits? They measure it by the percentage pollution in the exhaust. So 5% of pollution in one litre of exhaust matters, but 1% of pollution from 100 litres of Euro 6 exhaust doesn't matter. The fact is that a Euro6 wagon can drive ten miles without paying a penalty whereas an adult travelling 100 miles on a Honda 90 using the same amount of fuel and producing less pollution has to pay.

Wish i had lept my honda 90 sport.

 

[gasgas]

An SS90! Wow, that was my first encounter with a Japanese bike. I was thrilled with the superior quality over the UK stuff. Light years ahead, specially in the electrics with their waterproof silicone-encased connectors. Indicators! Gaiters over the sliding shock absorber shafts. Lovely.

 

[2cv]

I have a 40 yr old car and I looked to see if it is London exempt - no it's not. I have to pay to see my mate one mile inside the M25. So historic cars are apparently not exempt. Also a Honda 90 has to pay although it does 125mpg so how much pollution do you think it emits? They measure it by the percentage pollution in the exhaust. So 5% of pollution in one litre of exhaust matters, but 1% of pollution from 100 litres of Euro 6 exhaust doesn't matter. The fact is that a Euro6 wagon can drive ten miles without paying a penalty whereas an adult travelling 100 miles on a Honda 90 using the same amount of fuel and producing less pollution has to pay.

If you change the tax class to “historic vehicle” by applying to DVLA it will mean that it is exempt.

 

[2cv]

Wish i had lept my honda 90 sport. View attachment 71927

I had a Honda 90 sport just like the when I lived in Malaysia in the early 80s, great little bikes.

 

[HurricaneSmith]

If you change the tax class to “historic vehicle” by applying to DVLA it will mean that it is exempt.

Not in all cases I'm afraid.

The DVLA changed my kit car (1974 donor car) to Historic Register without any fuss, meaning no more annual tax.

But it is not London exempt, 'cos they date that from when it passed Enhanced SVA. I have no intention of driving it in London, so not a problem for me.

 

[2cv]

Not in all cases I'm afraid.

The DVLA changed my kit car (1974 donor car) to Historic Register without any fuss, meaning no more annual tax.

But it is not London exempt, 'cos they date that from when it passed Enhanced SVA. I have no intention of driving it in London, so not a problem for me.

Yes, I think it does have to be largely unmodified to be ULEZ exempt.

 

[gasgas]

If you change the tax class to “historic vehicle” by applying to DVLA it will mean that it is exempt.

Yes I was wondering about that. My car is a bit of a curiosity. The VIN only has numbers, and this would mean it was manufactured prior to 1980 or 1981. However it was first registered in the UK in May 1983 and declared new when registered. There are a few things that make me think it really is 1980 or older as there are some earlier-than-1983 fittings inside. Also whenever I go past a speed limit sign that says whay your speed is, my speedo reads well over the +10% allowance that most speedos have. Although the speedo is lablelled as mph it sounds to me as if the gear cogs in the gearbox that drive the speedo cable must be for kph speedos. That in turn means that the 196,000 miles is really 122,000 miles so perhaps it's due for its first polish. The font of the number plate is typically German. I suspect it was bought by an army chappie in Germany, possibly registered there as some sort of temporary army registration, brought to the UK three or four years after it was made, and registered as new.
However doing a lot of research I find that although everyone says 'if the car is over 40 years old it can be registered as historic' it turns out that you can only register it as historic from April 1st in the year following the year it became 40 yrs old. So following that theory I will start the application process on April 1st. The DVLA won't recognise the fact that its VIN is definite proof that it is older than 1980.
Anyway it's not long now, and the road tax saving will be half the cost of an annual service on my motorhome

 

[Pudsey Bear]

I think you will find the gearbox will have the same speedo drive gears and the speedo head will just read KM not MPH.

 

[GeoffL]

I think you will find the gearbox will have the same speedo drive gears and the speedo head will just read KM not MPH.

This depends. FWIW, I had a grey import (Mitsubishi Pajero) and that had the speedo converted to mph by changing the card and the odometer remained showing km rather than miles. However, some other members of the owners club had been converted by changing the speedo drive gearing, in which case their odometers were km up to the point of conversion and any additional increment was in miles. The latter used the same cards but with "km/h" replaced by "mph" -- some with a little sticker, others had been overpainted.

 

[Pudsey Bear]

You may be spot on there Geoff.

We bought a Honda Accord four years ago it was in km, and the fix was a new dial, cost £20 of Ebay, + £20 to have it fitted, the needle moved the same amount but it pointed to different numbers, the odometer stayed the same so I kept the invoices to prove how far it had travelled and left them in the glove box for the new buyer.

 

[GeoffL]

I guess that @gasgas could test this out using one of those speed warning signs (the ones that either tell you your speed or light up red if too fast, but don't have an attached speed camera) and either follow traffic or pick a time when the following is safe. If it doesn't say you're going too fast in a 30 limit with 50 indicated on the clock then the clock is almost certainly showing km/h rather than mph.
On second thoughts, UK speedos usually show both mph and km/h, so if there's only one set of numbers, the chances are that'll be km/h!