Driving abroad from September 2021

[GeoffSmith]

Watch out for the requirement for a GB sticker being replaced by a UK sticker in September. Apparently the AA came across this when searching UN legislation for something else - I assume that our glorious leaders will tell we proles about it in due course.

[GeoffSmith]

I may follow Dico and emigrate to France. Or Italy. I've got the stickers on the car already.

[HJ2]

Don’t rule out the Netherlands!
+ we serve an excellent ham sandwich @ the border

[Simon_P]

That solves it ... I'm not going!
More European bureaucracy as someone that gets stopped a lot in Europe, I know that the sticker police will be hot on UK stickers. They will have spent the £54 million that we gave them to deal with illegal migration on UK recognition equipment... meanwhile they couldn't catch Illegal migrants if they ran them over.

If I do have to go I shall get a couple of GB stickers (they look good on an elan bumper) and display the smallest UK strip on the end of my number plate - That'll show em! Now where did I put my LHD headlights.

Don’t rule out the Netherlands!

Which should be H. I'd never rule out the Hnetherlands I would pop over for lunch, but France is in the way.

@ the border

Where's that? You don't have a border any more.

[Simon_P]

[Fredjohn]

The reason this is being done is because GB does not include N. Ireland. But UK does.
Sorry to be boring! Guess it leaves AA Halfords and car accessory shops with huge stocks of GB stickers!

The only real solution to this and to a few other border problems would be to unite Ireland..........

Or scrap brexit, sorry UKexit.

All tongue in cheek, no politics intended, apart from the first bit.

[GeoffSmith]

The reason this is being done is because GB does not include N. Ireland. But UK does.

But NI was part of the UK when the GB identifier was specified by the UN in the 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic… so what's changed?

Interestingly, the identifier is not specified in the UK's 2018 Bill so presumably this is something initiated by the UK to amend the UN definitions.

[Simon_P]

But NI was part of the UK when the GB identifier was specified by the UN in the 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic… so what's changed?

And the whole of Ireland was when it was introduced in 1910. Subsequently from 1922 NI so that's been how it is for 99 years.

It's a bit of woke window dressings by a not very conservative Conservative government.
Did anyone ask for the change? Haven't they got better things to fiddle with?

[GeoffSmith]

Did anyone ask for the change?

Arlene…

[Simon_P]

I think you meant Amen!
Arlene has just joined GB news so it can't be her.

[Simon_P]

The only real solution to this and to a few other border problems would be to unite Ireland..........

As simple as that! Only trouble is some of the people don't want to be United with the South which is why it exists. Give it a thousand years and they'll come round to your way of thinking.

[Fredjohn]

The only real solution to this and to a few other border problems would be to unite Ireland..........

As simple as that! Only trouble is some of the people don't want to be United with the South which is why it exists. Give it a thousand years and they'll come round to your way of thinking.

Only too well aware of that Simon.

That's why I said ''tongue in cheek'' later on my post.

PS
''GB & N. Ireland'' phrase spring to mind anyone?

[scotlan]

By coincidence, I am going to Europe on 28th September, but not, alas, in the Elan.
This is from the UK government website

Travelling in Europe
If your number plate includes the GB identifier with the Union flag (also known as the Union Jack), you do not need a GB sticker. But you will need to display a GB sticker clearly on the rear of your vehicle if your number plate has any of the following:

a Euro symbol
a national flag of England, Scotland or Wales
numbers and letters only - no flag or identifier
If you’re in Spain, Cyprus or Malta, you must display a GB sticker no matter what is on your number plate

[Dave Eds]

I assume that our glorious leaders will tell we proles about it in due course

Which would be why Geoff said what Geoff said

[GeoffSmith]

I assume that our glorious leaders will tell we proles about it in due course

Which would be why Geoff said what Geoff said

I am a mere kitty fiddler. I am not worthy. I am not worthy.

[GeoffSmith]

This is from the UK government website…

However, if the UN changes the requirement from GB to UK in September and the European tax-collectors-in blue-with-flashing-lights-and-funny-sirens pull me over, my Spanish is not good enough to explain that my leaders told me I could do something else without fear of reprisals and it's on the official website if they'd care to take a look. Come to thing of it, my Spanish hasn't really improved much beyond "Dos bolsas de mortero seco por favor" but that's another story.

[Fredjohn]

Scotlan
The government advice you quote is correct......until Sept 2021.

Let's see if they succeed in updating it in time to include the requirements from Sept. My bet is Oct 15th or later!

[Simon_P]

Just reading that the nhs has banned capital letters because some people find them offensive. So this could become uk. I wonder if the white background will still be acceptable?

Anyway I can't see it going well I don't think anyone has considered why NI had NI rather than GB or for that matter UK. It would make you an obvious target and I can imagine it will upset some.

[scotlan]

Scotlan
The government advice you quote is correct......until Sept 2021.

Let's see if they succeed in updating it in time to include the requirements from Sept. My bet is Oct 15th or later!

FredJohn, you might be right. I will be away for nearly 3 months, so in view of all the pinging and ponging over Covid, I think I will fit a few different sets of plates and stickers, just to comply throughout my stay.

Also, just in case Nicola declares independence in my absence, a few Ecosse badges may come in useful too.

[Neil D.]

I travelled to France yesterday on the shuttle, as an expat, I have been travelling back and forth from the UK since 1966

Things have changed, but:
I have never been stopped for not showing an "F" on my plate / car. (I have a french registration)
Equally, I travel to and from Switzerland twice a day for the past 30 years, and have never been asked to show and F. (Even though it is required by law.)
Let's say I have been lucky !!!
Swiss law also requires a CH on the rear of the car, even though all swiss plates have a National and regional flag, these to not comply with Europeen rules.

Will it also mean that UK should now only have one team in the Football World Cup, instead of ENG /SCOT/ WALES, and come closer to the Olympic format?

The problem is we (brits) want to have our cake and eat it. Being part of Europe (sort of) and never adopting the currency.
Until recently,(if arriving to the UK from amber) letting UK NHS vaccinated people into the country, but not people vaccinated in Europe without quarantine. I know I have just lived this.
The creation of amber PLUS well

I just hope that for all travellers the covid restrictions ease, and make the exchanges between countries a little easier. For those of us who travel to and from the UK, Brexit will remain a pain until things settle.

Neil