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LINEA
DIRECTA ANNOUNCE MONTHLY STOP ORDER FACILITY.
5 June 2008
The ever increasing costs of
motor insurance means that many people (not just expats) battle to pay the
premiums on the due date for the next 12 months. As a result, one
Spanish insurance company, Linea
Directa, has just announced the launch of their new facility where clients
may pay the premiums monthly. Foreign residents can also
benefit from special offers, discount prices and the facility to buy their
car insurance online.
The web-site
is at (cut & paste)
https://www.lineadirecta.com/LDAWeb/home/Home.faces
However,
the following caveats are important to anyone who uses this facility
regardless of where they obtain it.
As on their web-site, the offer is valid only until the 31st July 2008,
so if you are reading this past that date; too late now.
You are reminded that:
If you are
stopped on the road by the police or Guardia Civil, you must be able to
prove on the spot that you are insured at that time and that means the
original of the Bank Statement form showing that the payment has been made.
In Spain, as with all documentation, you must have the papers with you in
the vehicle; you cannot offer to bring them to the police station "within 5
days". To not have such proof could well mean that you
will be instructed to leave the vehicle by the roadside until a GRUA arrives
to take it away as well as receiving a fine for up to €300
at this time.
Also if you
have a foreign plated car or moto, this may well indicate to the police/GC
officer that you should be on Spanish plates as the insurance certificate
will have a Spanish address on it. The officers, if in doubt, will
most likely issue a denuncia so the onus is on you to prove you are legal.
As a resident in Spain,
illegally driving a foreign plated vehicle in Spain (that you own) is
usually a fine of €300 and you
are also given 30 days to get it on to Spanish plates/registration which
they will check that you have. If you are not resident
but cannot prove that you are not, e.g.. with airplane or boat
tickets showing that you do indeed live outside of Spain for over 183 days
of each calendar year, the same applies. There are so many
breaking this law that the authorities are tough with offenders and
suspected offenders as they are not usually paying et same taxes as us legal
drivers and owners.
Sorry to be
the bearer of bad news for all who are illegal, but it is better that you
know to avoid future problems if you want to, and the procedure on how to do
the re-registration yourself is in the book.
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NEW DRIVING / RIDING TEST FOR MOTORCYCLISTS
STARTS SEPTEMBER 1st 2008.
5 June 2008
As advised in the book, but the actual starting date was not known at
the time, the toughening up of the tests for those starting to ride is now
announced to be from the 1st September of this year as well as the age
for starting to ride on public roads and areas being increased form 14
to 15 years. In Spain, any area such as even a supermarket car park or
similar is classed the same as a public road.
I
cannot but feel saddened that this has happened but the antics of many of
the youngsters here has caused this age to be raised due to the refusal of
many to obey the common-sense laws of safety and of the road, including
riding recklessly in towns as many who drive in Spain will have witnessed.
Being an ex-motorcyclist myself, having ridden many hundreds of thousands of
kilometres over 40 odd years, including motocross, trials and cross-country
racing in the USA and South Africa, and some hard racing on the tracks, I
have always believed that with good basic training by motorcycle enthusiasts
that the youngsters can empathise with, is the best grounding for starting a
safe driving life. So in effect, due to the accident rates and the
idiocy of many youngsters, they have "shot themselves in the foot" for the
future generations of young riders.
A
cynic though could say that a bicycle will be better for the planet.
But not only the youngsters are affected as the tests for the progression
from the basic to the full moto riding licence will also include a written
and a practical test in a special test area. The rider will be given
commands via a radio speaker in his or her helmet by the instructors for the
initial instructions and then the testers for all driving examinations,
just as used to happen in South Africa 20 years or so ago. (My God, we
are catching up at last!)
The book shows
the new classes of motorcycle licences where progression though the small to
larger bikes is now necessary to cut death rates where inexperienced riders
can be on "300 kph machines". Yes, you can buy such a moto.
Readers are reminded as stated in the book that if you have a "B"
driving licence for a car, you may ride up to 49 cc machine for the first
three years after passing the test and after that, a 125 cc machine.
This was introduced three years ago to make congestion less in the cities
and to lower running costs of cars used for work. The motorcycle
accident rates have increased terribly since then.
Oh to have my Ducati 900 SS again, or especially my three old Vincent-HRD
1.000 cc machines. (1952, 1954 and 1955).
Be safe out there.
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