Agricultural Vehicle Registration - any advantages ?

[Billhook]

Quad bikes

 

Quad bikes are required to be registered with DVLA before they can be used on public roads.

 

They can only be used for short distances on public roads and must have a number plate, be fitted with lamps and reflectors if they are to be used on public roads before sunrise or after sunset. They should also be fitted with indicators and a hazard warning light if they are capable of travelling above 15 miles per hour. If they are capable of travelling above 20 miles per hour a horn and a speedometer should also be fitted. If they are capable of travelling above 25 miles per hour a fog light should also be fitted.

 

The rider should make hand signals when changing direction or slowing down if the quad bike is not fitted with indicators and brake lights.

 

It is not permitted to carry passengers on a quad bike.

 

Red diesel

 

The use of red diesel (also known as “rebated fuel”) is only permitted in certain circumstances. These include the following circumstances:

 

where the vehicle is not used on a public road and does not have a licence;

 

where the vehicle is a tractor and it is designed and constructed primarily for off-road use and its use on a public road is for agricultural purposes;

 

where the vehicle is a “light agricultural vehicle” (which includes quad bikes) and its use on a public road is for agricultural purposes;

 

where the vehicle qualifies as an “agricultural material handler” and its use on a public road is for agricultural purposes;

 

where the vehicle is classed as an “agricultural engine” (which includes combine harvesters and crop sprayers) and it is travelling to or from the place where the vehicle is or has been used;

 

where the vehicle is classed as an “agricultural processing vehicle” (which includes mobile feed milling machines) and it is travelling to or from the place where the vehicle is or has been used;

 

where a vehicle is used only for agricultural purposes and it is travelling to or from different pieces of land occupied by the same person and the pieces of land are not more than 1.5 kilometres apart;

 

where the vehicle is a mowing machine;

 

where the vehicle is being used to clear snow from public roads or when it is travelling to and from the place at which it is used to clear snow.

 

There are stiff penalties for using red diesel illegally.

 

 

 

I still think that there are lots of grey areas. For instance if you were to use a 4x4 pickup just in the woodland which was less than 1.5 km on a public road from the next bit of woodland which you occupy and you decided to tax the vehicle for agricultural use, what are its speed limitations on the road?

 

One of the key requirements it seems is that the journey on the road must be between land that you occupy.