When is an ambulance not , dvla (1 Viewer)

Northernraider

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It’s not me and it’s not a motorhome conversion.

It’s a friend who has a work van that was previously owned by the fire service.

He’s been arguing with DVLA for about 3 years and has tried everything. For reasons best known to themselves the DVLA point blank refuse to change it. They won’t even acknowledge that there’s an issue.
He can't have tried everything....he just can't
I had an ex Leyland daf 400 ambulance I used as a work van briefly and I bought it direct from the Scottish ambulance service ( or should say my dad did as he drove them) I had it taxed and mot as a plg with no issues
 

Tootles

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Taxing as an ambulance when its No longer in official service is fraud.....so it's not taxed.
Not strictly true John,. Providing it is still set out as an ambulance, it goes free, same for the MOT. The only stipulation about it not being in official service, is that it must be able to be directed by a police officer to serve in an official capacity. Many ex Army Land Rover ambulances kept for shows are used thus.

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Oct 2, 2008
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Ambulance”
Means:

A Vehicle which is constructed or adapted for,
and used
for no other purpose
other than
, the
carriage of sick, injured or disabled people to
or from welfare centres or places where
medical or dental treatment is given, and is
readily identifiable as a vehicle used for the
carriage of such people by being marked

Ambulance” on both sides.”
Road Vehicles
(Registration and Licensing) Regulations 19

This is the technical part , unfortunately the law has been muddled by stretching of function to marking rapid response cars etc .

There are offences for making misleading statements for exemption
Having said this the complications make it bad luck to be prosecuted .
There was recent case of a "walt" getting caught in a rapid response fully marked car using blues and twos .
 

Terry

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Not strictly true John,. Providing it is still set out as an ambulance, it goes free, same for the MOT. The only stipulation about it not being in official service, is that it must be able to be directed by a police officer to serve in an official capacity. Many ex Army Land Rover ambulances kept for shows are used thus.
Don't think that's right although I know paramedics use ambulances when they do race meets and stuff like st John's ambulance / private work
 

Tootles

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Don't think that's right although I know paramedics use ambulances when they do race meets and stuff like st John's ambulance / private work
I remember in the late '80s, they started messing about with ex military vehicles as regards to tax and testing. The problem was, that if you owned a six wheeled armoured car, (for show use), registered as private, then it could not be tested at a DVLA testing station. Garages didnt have either the ramps or equipment to test heavy stuff, and so, it was deemed that providing a vehicles was first registered for the road before 1/1/59, weighed in excess of 4 tons, and was of multi wheeled drive, then it earned an exception.
Already exempt, amongst others, were ambulances and hearses. Now, providing, as T2Man says, that the vehicle is marked up as an ambulance, was constructed as an ambulance, and is available for service, then its still an ambulance. You can sleep in it, no problem. There is no restriction, as far as I am aware, on any journey it may make.

ambulance.jpg


This was my Fordson ET6 (next to the mini bus), ex RAF ambulance. We ran it to shows for a number of years on the exemption.

raf-vehicles.jpg

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Oct 2, 2008
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The mot exemption is there for vehicles which are not testable .
I used it on my tacr2a and some others I have owned in the past .
It had to be taxed PLG as it was not being operated by a Fire authority , technically it should not have been fitted with the blue light as even covering it is technically not sufficient for the legislation
(RVLR 1989) .
Having said that the piece I posted re marked as ambulance was to high light the part in red which states an ambulance is Tax exempt only in those circumstances eg only used as ambulance , and limited by operation as well. The 130 pulse landrover ambulance above unless being used within those constraints eg by SJAB on medical travel would be neither MOT exempt as its easily testable ,and neither is it tax exempt (as an ambulance) or as an historic vehicle.
It could not be exempt if being taken to mil shows as mil vehicle and being slept in . Hope that clarifies it abit :)
Ps the fordson would be tax exempt as historic vehicle not as ambulance . same as the 2 K9 and the J 2
 

Tootles

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The mot exemption is there for vehicles which are not testable .
I used it on my tacr2a and some others I have owned in the past .
It had to be taxed PLG as it was not being operated by a Fire authority , technically it should not have been fitted with the blue light as even covering it is technically not sufficient for the legislation
(RVLR 1989) .
Having said that the piece I posted re marked as ambulance was to high light the part in red which states an ambulance is Tax exempt only in those circumstances eg only used as ambulance , and limited by operation as well. The 130 pulse landrover ambulance above unless being used within those constraints eg by SJAB on medical travel would be neither MOT exempt as its easily testable ,and neither is it tax exempt (as an ambulance) or as an historic vehicle.
It could not be exempt if being taken to mil shows as mil vehicle and being slept in . Hope that clarifies it abit :)
Ps the fordson would be tax exempt as historic vehicle not as ambulance . same as the 2 K9 and the J 2
I of course bow to your up to date knowledge on the subject. :notworthy2::notworthy2:
 
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i had a patent transport ambulance i did not have any problems changing it sumthing not right her.
all sound's more complected than it need's to be getting more complicated by the magic of the forum.
if it's simpile just put it on a forum and it will become complected and totally confusing
me i would have fund sumthing the same make that was converted take sum pictures
send them in to keep the DVLA happy.
and got on with it
bill






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Jul 12, 2013
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The question is, is it an Ambulance?
AmbulanceMeans: “A Vehicle which is constructed or adapted for, and used for no other purpose other than, the carriage of sick, injured or disabled people to or from welfare centres or places where medical or dental treatment is given, and is readily identifiable as a vehicle used for the carriage of such people by ...
 

Mark Hallsworth

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Newbie, ish. Had a Bongo years ago, currently have a caravan. Just bought project
I just bought an ambulance service major incident crew van. Had no idea it was officially an ambulance until I tried to tax it online and it was free. I have never seen the V5 as it was bought from auction and they just handed me an envelope with my stuff and sent the other part off. As far as I am concerned I have done everything within my power at this time to comply with the law and Im driving it on a conversion policy (AGEAS with no time limit on conversion process). When I get the V5 back I will have to see what it says. If the website wont let me pay, what can I do?
 

GWAYGWAY

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If it's still registered as an ambulance or any other emergency service vehicle it's exempt.

It's not possible to get an MOT until the DVLA change the registration class. The MOT online system that they use now won't allow it.
An Ambulance MOT, has to be done every six month from NEW . as they do horrendous mileages the service usually has it own MOT qualified staff in the service department. Fire engine are lucky to be run in in a couple of years in some places.

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Wales1980

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heres a conundrum for you, not mine but my sons , he got the log book through for his ambulance he's converting and still says ambulance on it , he's gone to tax it on line and it came up as free as it's an ambulance , so obviously he did it , but what's he do now , he's got it insured as a conversion being done but now is it legal on the road or not, or what do you change the log book to , ambulance, van, motorhome or what or just leave it as it is and tax it for free.(n)(n)
It is my understanding that it is the vehicle build type that is exempt and regardless of whether it works for an ambulance service or not, it is still an ambulance until converted otherwise. Suggestion: carry a first aid kit and insure it as an ambulance
 

pappajohn

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It is my understanding that it is the vehicle build type that is exempt and regardless of whether it works for an ambulance service or not, it is still an ambulance until converted otherwise. Suggestion: carry a first aid kit and insure it as an ambulance
Hello and welcome. I think by now it will be sorted, the thread is two years old now and last reply was May 2019.
 
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heres a conundrum for you, not mine but my sons , he got the log book through for his ambulance he's converting and still says ambulance on it , he's gone to tax it on line and it came up as free as it's an ambulance , so obviously he did it , but what's he do now , he's got it insured as a conversion being done but now is it legal on the road or not, or what do you change the log book to , ambulance, van, motorhome or what or just leave it as it is and tax it for free.(n)(n)
Send log book off with changed to panel van
With a covering letter

Going back i built on a patient ambulance
Had to drive to chelmsford ,clerk was interersted enough
To come down and check
Swopped it to panel van said when complete
CHange It to motor home

12 years back
i know its changed now
Its all done at Swansea
:groan:


blast fell in a trap 2 years old post:swear2::whistle2::groan::groan:

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OP
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Send log book off with changed to panel van
With a covering letter

Going back i built on a patient ambulance
Had to drive to chelmsford ,clerk was interersted enough
To come down and check
Swopped it to panel van said when complete
CHange It to motor home

12 years back
i know its changed now
Its all done at Swansea
:groan:


blast fell in a trap 2 years old post:swear2::whistle2::groan::groan:
Yes all done and dusted , that's why I didn't reply, thought everyone knows by now we got them done to motorhome, before all this stuff about vans with windows. (y) :Smile:
 
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An ambulance is a van with a bed or stretcher in it , If you think that by buying an ambulance and then loading it with parcels you wont get nicked for using it tax exempt then feel free to try :)
All you need to do is tell DVLA thats its now a van , its different with the second change to motorcaravan as you need to show compliance with what is defined as a motorcaravan
View attachment 205942
A motorhome could be an ambulance @pappajohn
Fond memories of a trip to Fatima in Portugal in one of those. Did it in one run with 2 drivers, 36 hours of motoring.

The people we were assisting had the time of their lives as did we. Stopped in a convent in Fatima and my nominated partner John had a severe brain injury, couldn’t communicate well if at all and had a mental age of 10 aged 28. He was also 28 stone but we still got him on the beach, swimming and all around everywhere he wanted. Even managed a visit to the local pub which he thought was amazing!

The Across Trust do a great job.

Back on topic, it was a real Ambulance with blue lights and sirens! Given its size, it was an impressive thing. The Ambulance designation gives it exemptions from parking in certain places like Zig Zags and Double Yellow lines, important when you need to use the lift for the less abled.

John
 
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An Ambulance MOT, has to be done every six month from NEW . as they do horrendous mileages the service usually has it own MOT qualified staff in the service department. Fire engine are lucky to be run in in a couple of years in some places.

I think it’s every year from new but could be wrong. They don’t get the usual 3 year exemption from new and must be MOT’d every year. We don’t do our own in West Mids either, not sure why.

They do get a full safety check every 6 weeks though. Our car for instance does 70,000 miles a year, much of that high speed motorway driving.

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GWAYGWAY

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Ambulances need MOT tests every 6 months, normally in house though.
 
Nov 25, 2013
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All these Government vehicles are operated under the Crown Vehicle System and as such are tax exempt. They show as being taxed but pay no duty. I have bought a Prison Van on an IVECO Daily Chassis , I have removed the body and fitted a Car Transporter Body. I have sorted the Goods Vehicle Plate side of things by applying for a First Goods Vehicle Test. It passed yesterday.The issue with the Taxation is a problem because the DVLA Staff are clueless on Crown Vehicles. However yesterday I took residence in the Post Office , their systems will not accept tax applications on these vehicles. One hour on the phone to DVLA while at the Counter and I am now sorted. This is only because I knew more about the system that the DVLA girl !! They had to raise a special case file to deal with it . Like you mine still shows as taxed at the moment but when it is re categorised and comes out of the Crown System it will be ok . Ownership change will be completed and it will be an HVG. To make any progress on these cases you must tell the DVLA enquiry section to remove it from the Crown System. Good Luck!

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