Sir, - A few years ago, I wrote to the SIMI and to the Department of the Environment (and also to Consumer Affairs) with what I believed was a reasonable system for solving cases in which mileages on used motor vehicles could be detected, and the offence proved in court. Of course, I received the usual acknowledgements of my letter and promises to examine my suggestion.
Years pass, and not a further word on the matter. Now that Kevin Myers brings up the matter of the Mercedes with only 36,000 on the clock, despite having covered a quarter of a million miles, may I once again offer my suggestion through your columns.
Road Fund Licencee Duty (i.e. road tax) has to be paid by the vehicle owner, every 12 months (sometimes more often). At the time that I wrote to S.I.M.I. and the Environment Minister, it was obligatory on the person paying such duty to complete a declaration to this effect and to produce a current certificate of motor insurance, with a cheque etc for the licence duty. My suggestion was that an extra query could have been added to the form, requiring the car owner to state truthfully, the mileage reading on the speedometer of the vehicle.
When the time came to sell or trade in the vehicle, provision could be made for a certified copy of the entries in such application forms, to be supplied to the owner of the vehicle on payment of a small fee. It would be up to the buyer, or the car dealer, to insist on the owner supplying such proof as to the mileage at each time the Road Fund licence duty was paid.
Even if the buyer took the sellers at his word, and took the vehicle without such a certificate from the Motor Taxation Office, he would have to show the mileage reading when applying to register - the change of ownership. Any discrepancy in the mileage figures would be immediately apparent to the Motor Taxation Office, on checking the application with the previous forms. Insurance companies could help by insisting on details of mileage readings on occasions when insurance cover was being applied for, or being renewed.
If it did nothing else, it would save Kevin Myers from unquestioningly handing over his life savings for that 1953 Hillman Minx. - Yours, etc.,
Old Quarry,
Dalkey,
Co Dublin.