UK SVA regulations/ban on modified cars

Road-race engines and ancillaries - general discussion
Julian
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Post by Julian »

Guy Croft wrote:The SVA (speaking from a recent time-wasting experience of trying to help someone to prove the origin of his Fiat kit car engine) is that they simply are not up to this task, it will be a bureaucratic trainwreck and the upshot will be a lot of cars forced off the road.
One could argue that this is actually the point. The government is desperate to see less cars on the road and more public transport. If they can find a way to quickly bring about the demise of older cars and thus force those that can't afford newer cars off the road they have achieved their goals through an unlikely means. It would of course be shooting themselves in the foot (and quite possibly getting themselves shot against a wall in the ensuing revolution) and the financial penalties it would inflict on the country do not bear thinking about but given the fanatical nature of many councillors pushing the green agenda it is not beyond the realms of belief.

The controls as described above wouldn't remove all those cars in one go - only as they needed repair so the impact would be buffered somewhat but the issue remains. The main issue is that it seems intended to make yet more people criminals - not through ill-intent but simply because the police wish to entrap a minority so by making everyone guilty they give themselves the means to catch as many as they see fit.

Thus far everything I've been told about is in keeping with the rules posted on the DVLA site and as such they hadn't been of massive concern - the point that there is no concession to older vehicles being retested had admittedly been lost on me and I can certainly see the relevance now.
Guy Croft
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Post by Guy Croft »

Members:

I put this thread in to determine what is going on, and if necessary to bring a degree of prominence to it. I have written to three magazine editors already asking to read this and do what they can to make the issue public.

Can we please now, knowing what we do from Kev's post, not so much debate it, as do-what-we-can to get it into the motoring/motorsport public domain so that at least some pressure group (s) are geared up to represent the 'modified' sector in an even playing field. Which it will not be the way it is going.

Members, in order to keep this thread concise, please write here ONLY if you are doing something actively to find out more from first-hand authority or are lobbying by way of approachs to motoring, motorsport media.

Thank you,

GC

Highlighted in bold (briefly) for the awareness of some!
Last edited by Guy Croft on August 17th, 2006, 10:37 am, edited 1 time in total.
sumplug
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Post by sumplug »

I see the DVLA are targeting the unlicenced car and driver as well. Good for them. Each untaxed/uninsured car adds ‚£30 approx to all our insurances. But do we see any revenue put back to improve our roads and safety??
Once again the Government are targeting the easy catch in the Modified cars.
If they want to target modified cars, then why dont they target the poor companies that screw people out of cash for substandard or bogus power claims?? This is where the industry needs tidying up badly.
I for one would welcome legislation that stopped a lot of potential death traps going on our roads. But that is a tiny minority. The modified industry brings ‚£ millions into this country and employes thousands of people throughout as well. It needs tidying up and trading standards need to act now. I think we all know at least one company we all would like to see done or removed from trading.
As for the SVA test, having read the rules, some of them are so laughable How can the underside of a car be dangerous??. And how many kit car owners change the door/wing mirrors after the test??

Andy.
Guy Croft
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Post by Guy Croft »

Members:

I put this thread in to determine what is going on, and if necessary to bring a degree of prominence to it. I have written to three magazine editors already asking to read this and do what they can to make the issue public.

Can we please now, knowing what we do from Kev's post, not so much debate it, as do-what-we-can to get it into the motoring/motorsport public domain so that at least some pressure group (s) are geared up to represent the 'modified' sector in an even playing field. Which it will not be the way it is going.

Members, in order to keep this thread concise, please write here ONLY if you are doing something actively to find out more from first-hand authority or are lobbying by way of approaches to MP, papers, motoring, motorsport media. And now that you have read the material here -I hope you will.

Thank you,

GC
Kev Rooney
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Post by Kev Rooney »

As another part of this concern, which interlocks , there is currently an ' Across Europe Harmonisation of Motor Vehicle Taxation ' . Part of the worry of this proposal is that the restriction on use of historically registered vehicles that pervades Europe may be brought over here .

The FBHVCC are working on this and are already lobbying and have detailed information , of a financial impact nature, gleaned from questionaires given to their member clubs.

This is the reason why ACE are trying to negotiate a modified / restored vehicle class with DVLA .This would enable two current classes to be combined and for an APPROPRATE safety test to be used.

If you wonder why re the 'restored class' the Police are also asking that vehicles can only be registered using this class is all parts are genuine pre 73 ? The safety issues raised by this have obviously been overloooked.

We have several replies from MP's stating that they 'have no intention of a new test for modified cars '. That IS correct! What the current discussions refer to is widening the scope of an existing set up, the SVA.

Currently SVA lanes are running slowly as the 'Grey Import ' market is stagnant.

If anyone needs calrification of certain points or how best to proceed whilst showing a united front then I can be contacted direct via PM.
Guy Croft
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Post by Guy Croft »

Going back to SVA and modified cars Kev, I am concerned that probably no-one involved in doing that kind of thing, firms or individuals, was consulted initially, but now the proposals are, er drafted (?).

So we are de-facto in an 'intervention' phase now, which usually means no amount of written/spoken comment will have any influence.

Am I right?

GC
Kev Rooney
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Post by Kev Rooney »

Yes Guy, as you stated the organisations that the Consultation Document would impact on where not aware that the items under discussion would in any way affect them as it was primarily assessing DVLA's current inspection processes. It was only once responses were in that it became apparent that the concerns of the NSRA / NASC were confirmed. Luckily by reading bewteen the lines we ( NSRA / NASC )managed input into the initial document.

That document has closed and the DVLA are currently considering the views of the respondees hence why ( when questioned by MP's ) they say there are no 'proposals' that will affect modified cars BUT they are currently reviewing the recommendations, from their response document and will formulate another document for discussion , so they say.

We have tried to ensure that by continual input from interested parties direct to DVLA that this WILL happen and that they are VERY aware of the strength of feeling surrounding these matters.

Currently I am co-ordinating the fight for both NSRA / NASC and also ACE which has slightly different aims but whose umbrella the other two national organisations fall..
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