THERE needs to be tighter controls on vehicles in Guernsey carrying UK registration plates. Guernsey Motor Trades Association chairman Dave Beausire said that because of light controls, there were a number of Guernsey residents not paying motor tax.

‘There should be checks on cars carrying any foreign number plate as soon as they come into the docks. But there’s nothing in place.

‘By doing this it would just be a matter of checking again that they had registered them in a week’s time.

‘If not, does this mean it’s open season for everyone?’

Mr Beausire has expressed the association’s concerns to the Environment Department, but was told to provide the number plates of cars and something would be done.

Environment minister Bernard Flouquet said his department was aware of the potential abuse of the international circulation law.

However, he said the department had no power to enforce the legislation.

‘Referral of such suspected instances of abuse where they are made to us is passed on to the Home Department and police,’ said Deputy Flouquet.

‘Unfortunately the issue is obviously very complex and further complicated by some of the current terminology and timescales relied upon in the legislation and the department understands that the police can find it difficult to determine compliance or otherwise with the criteria.

‘The Environment and Home Departments are working to see whether an improvement in the ability to prosecute can be derived from amendment to the legislation.’

But Mr Beausire is worried that more islanders will look to abuse the system. ‘People have up to 48 hours to register a vehicle on arrival but if they don’t and leave it in the island, then it is against the law.

‘We have even seen a number of local tradesmen who have their own company logo on the side of their van with English number plates.

‘We are not the police, but it’s unfair that some are flouting the system because there are all those other people who are paying road tax.

‘The easiest way to deal with it is to police it at source. That way they could track it at any point.’