Good to Go, at last!

[sparksie]

Finally got Cit into the testing station yesterday and came away with a fresh cert.
That's much better, as I wasn't super keen on driving around with out-of-date paperwork in the windscreen, no matter how sure I was that all required repairs had been carried out.
Slightly annoying is the fact that I repaired the advisories too, but yesterday's tester never checked, so they're still shown as current on her pass report.
The number plate lights are both working and the OSF tyre is brand new, not "over 6 years old" as advised!
Cheeky sod was rushing to go for lunch and couldn't be bothered looking!
Oh well, at least I can park in town and drive roads where I know I'm likely to encounter checkpoints now, without fear of having to explain the nct disc.
I actually met another Xantia in town over the weekend. Exciting for both drivers...

[Hell Razor5543]

Yay!!!

[ecohouse1]

Good news indeed.

My TD went through its MOT yesterday too. It was in 2 weeks ago and my tester is great, he runs a test - but doesn't put it through the "system" and rights whats wrong on a fag packet. I collect - do the work myself and when I take it back - it then goes through the official test. Avoids a retest fee.

I should have then taken it straight back in but big bummer for me, was (and this is the first time in 30 years driving) was that I stupidly used the car end of last week. To cut a long story short - ended up in suburban traffic and stuck for ages at a roundabout, a traffic division Volvo pulls up behind. Obviously they check the number plate on the computer for old crocks like an old Xant and of course they clocked the MOT expiring 7 days earlier. Next thing there I am in the back of the car being read my rights! To be fair the cop was a decent guy and said that as it was only a week and I was taxed & insured that if I took the new cert to a police station within 7 days, "that would be the end of the matter" - needless to say I had it booked in pronto. Took the certs in to the station yesterday and they didn't seem that interested!

Be warned, I thought that unless you had an accident etc being spotted was almost one in a million - I was wrong!

[daviemck2006]

As far as I know all traffic cars have ANPR on board, which immediately flags up whether the car is mot'd taxed and insured. Possibly even every pc plod car has it now. This is one of the reasons that tax discs are going to be stopped being issued later in the year. Theres nowhere to hide, and now when I buy a car at thainstone I leave it parked there till I have it insured and taxed, or booked it in for a mot, whereas I used to drive them home that night.

[sparksie]

Yes, that's more or less how it was supposed to be here, too.
However, with the state allocated monopoly on testing, there simply aren't enough testing stations and staff to cater for all the cars needing tests at peak times of year. As a result, many people end up not able to get a test appointment before their current test expires. In turn, we've come up with an Irish solution, whereby proving an appointment has been made is sufficient for the average checkpoint, or traffic warden.
In my case, as an unregistered member of the motor trade, I'm in a grey area. Technically I'm insured to drive an un-roadworthy vehicle for testing and repair purposes, or in association with recovery activities. I'm listed as a recovery person, yet don't qualify for trade plates or a garage number, so I can't deal with the testing process as a garage.
I need current paperwork for anything I take on the road, regardless of actual condition, and tend to suffer closer scrutiny when I produce my trade insurance.
So, despite Cit being completely up to spec, I was technically committing an offence by driving her. However, I could perfectly legally recover a crashed car with no brakes, doors, partially removed roof and only three quarters of the required wheels and drive it, providing it had a current test and tax, back to the workshop! Mad, or what?
Luckily, the average Garda member has a modicum of common sense, so ten minutes at the side of the road is the worst that ever seems to happen, but the possibility is always there that I'm going to meet a jobsworth and end up walking!
Hence my relief at finally getting the required rectangular "disc".