Tax disc for mobility scooter

paddedjohn

What is the point of having a tax disc on a mobility scooter? it serves no purpose whatsoever and must cost a small fortune to administer.

zaksmum

paddedjohn wrote: »

What is the point of having a tax disc on a mobility scooter? it serves no purpose whatsoever and must cost a small fortune to administer.

That's what I thought. seems ridiculous!

mazza111

zaksmum wrote: »

Very true, when I'm out on mine you wouldn't believe the number of people who back into me, even when I'm at a standstill.

Then gawp at me as if they never saw a mobility scooter before.

Once I had a woman who was on her phone walk straight into me and ended up sprawled right across me. Unbelievable.

Haha I shouldn't laugh but it does happen :rotfl: When the dd was in a wheelchair and we were in Tesco one evening last year, an old woman actually climbed over to get into the reduced section :rotfl:


Nannytone - I'm sure you have other ways you "watch" where you're going. I'm not talking about visually impaired or other disabled people, it's usually people with 10 kids in tow, that are running wild and u get the distance of 2 steps because someone has jumped out in front of u, luckily they don't take long to stop. There are some real ignorant people and they all seem to manage to go into tesco at the same time as us. My dd has never driven, so hasn't learned the patience that goes with driving, so is still learning and goes at a very very slow speed, whether in the scooter or on her sticks, it even happens when she's on her sticks. It seems in supermarkets people forget all etiquette and just barge their way through no matter who's in their way, I think we notice it more cos she's in the scooter and has to keep stopping.

When we were in Glasgow the other week, we even had one wee boy deliberately jump out in front of her from behind clothing racks about a dozen times cos he thought it was fun, so I had to have words with the parents. Don't get me wrong, people like this are far and few between, but you've no idea the amount of times she's almost had someone because they've just cut across her. Yes it's fine giving way to pedestrians and she does, but sometimes if they just cut across her like that.... well, they do stop pretty quickly, but she's had some near misses.

It's like approaching a zebra crossing, someone may not appear to be going to cross and all of a sudden someone steps out, now ofc you should stop, but sometimes don't have time to do so safely iykwim.

I do agree they should be insured though, but I've found people, especially in supermarkets, can be very rude and ignorant of others.

Be_Happy

DH has 'stand alone' public liability insurance for his mobility scooter even though it's only a 4 mph one.

Costs £30 a year, but well worth the potential risk it covers. (House insurance wouldn't cover it).

mazza111

Be_Happy wrote: »

DH has 'stand alone' public liability insurance for his mobility scooter even though it's only a 4 mph one.

Costs £30 a year, but well worth the potential risk it covers. (House insurance wouldn't cover it).

That might be worthwhile looking into for when dd gets her own, atm she's just using ones in shops and shopping centres that have shopmobility.

pauliboo

zaksmum wrote: »

Do you think this is rigidly enforced? Would there be likely to be any checks made? How would a police officer, for example, know by looking at a scooter whether it's an 8mph or 4 mph model?

It should be quite easy to spot the differences:

Because class 3 invalid carriages can be used on the road they need to meet certain extra rules. Otherwise you could be stopped by the police. Class 3 invalid carriages need the following features:

a maximum unladen weight of 150 kilograms
a maximum width of 0.85 metres
a device to limit its speed to 4mph
a maximum speed of 8mph
an efficient braking system
front and rear lights and reflectors
direction indicators able to operate as a hazard warning signal
an audible horn
a rear view mirror
an amber flashing light if it’s used on a dual carriageway

Be_Happy

mazza111 wrote: »

That might be worthwhile looking into for when dd gets her own, atm she's just using ones in shops and shopping centres that have shopmobility.

In case you do need the info, the website is www.premiercare.info company is Mark Bates Ltd, tel: 01476 591104.

Up to this year, the scooter has had the full insurance cover (Around £75 a year - covers damage to scooter, get-you-home, etc), but this year's renewal notice said scooter was too old now to have full insurance, could only have the Public Liability Insurance cover.

Costs for an 8 mph scooter will be higher I should imagine.

zaksmum

some of them offer 3 months free insurance, or I could ask about the house insurance. Just in case some stupid kid thinks it's funny to try and make me run over him!

mazza111

Thnx Be Happy. She's not quite there yet, all the places we go shopping have great shopmobility schemes, but tyvm for when the time comes. Atm she's still in denial and still has a lot of determination that she's not gonna go down that road.

zaksmum

mazza111 wrote: »

Thnx Be Happy. She's not quite there yet, all the places we go shopping have great shopmobility schemes, but tyvm for when the time comes. Atm she's still in denial and still has a lot of determination that she's not gonna go down that road.

Well I had that same determination...but needs must. You do get fed up of struggling and being up to your neck on painkillers just to get 100 yards down the road, as I'm sure many of us on here know only too well:(