The Angry Viking

Its been a while since i have complained about anything on this site, but this week has put me over the top.

About 2 weeks ago, i was sitting in my Mobile Office, reading the online car sites, and i came accross a very nice car. i wasent thinking of changing the car, but at that moment, i made the decision: i was going to buy it if it was still available. Next day i took it for a test drive, and the day after, put quite a large deposit on it. Tuesday (the 4 day) i bought it. That was it! it was mine. Only issue: it had UK registration plates.

Now the insurance company had no problem insuring me on UK plates, even though i am in Ireland. i said it would be temporary, and they said grand. So, my next task was VRT, and this is where my gripe comes in.

When you buy a new car in Ireland, or import one from another country (unless you have owned it for 6 months in that other country and can prove it) you have to pay VRT, or Vehicle Registration Tax. this, up till July of 2008, costs anywhere from 22.5% for a car under 1.4l, 25% up to 1.9l and 30% for cars over 1.9l. This changes in June or July (not sure) and i will talk about that in a minuite.

Since the Car i bought was a 2.5l BMW, i have to pay the 30% bracket. That works out at EUR1900, give or take, and guess what i get for that? Nothing! they give me a price of paper, with a reg number, and I HAVE TO BUY MY OWN BLODDY PLATES! 1900 quid, and you think they would throw in a set of plates! No! First years road tax (which, by the way is 822 for my car, and goes to about 899 on the first of Feburary) is not included, and the car is due for an NCT in a couple of weeks, because it is over 3 years old and has not been tested here yet, which is also not included.

1900 quid. I get sweet fuck all. What the hell am i paying for? the use of Roads? Well, what about that extra lane at the side of the road with the sign “Bus Lane”? my road tax is paying for that, so why am i not able to use it? and if i do, i get fined even more? Motorways? then why all the Toll booths?

Bus lanes can be used by Buses (obvously), Taxies (dont get me started), Bikes (which dont pay tax) and motor bikes (which dont use it since they dont need to). 90% of the buses in the bus lane (if not more) pay very little road tax (the last time i checked, a CIE bus pays about 160 quid a year on road tax), bikes pay none, and taxies are just bastards anyway. and then you have bikes. they pay nothing! absolutly nothing, so why should they get use of that peice of road?

I work hard, i pay taxes. I have to pay VRT on new cars, Road Tax every year, Tax on Petrol, and tolls on some roads, and yet i am the one who gets fined for driving in a bus lane? and these people who dont have cars, dont pay road tax, get to use it for nothing? Come on! what am i paying for?

in relation to the tax increeses for VRT and Road tax, the VRT system is now based on emmisions, which means my 2.5l car would cost 36% VRT. and road tax goes up 9.5% for cars under 2500cc and 11% for cars over. who exactly though it was a good idea to get the greens in to power anyway, especially as an environmental minister.