Rego Reduction For Retro Rides - What's Required, Plain & Simple

Several months ago the WA Minister for Transport, Rita Saffioti MLA announced the "Rego Reduction for Retro Rides". It was a concept announcement with details to follow with a full announcement later in the year. (See more below *)

In broad terms it is a 75% fee reduction for classic &/or modified cars 30 years & older. Its a great initiative. Long overdue & installed in most other states.

1) There is some time before the final structure is unveiled but there rough outline seems to be this.

a) Cars must be 30 years and older

b) The scheme has nothing to do with the vintage/veteran car club scheme people refer to as the "404"

c) Owners will be restricted to a set time useable in a calendar year, generally accepted to be 25% of the year (roughly 90 days)

d) It will be a club based scheme, administered & policed by clubs and their officials

e) Log books may be required or registering the club runs via an App may be introduced

f) People will be penalised for falsifying their log book or driving over their allotted days or driving without club sanction

g) Cars must only be within their allowable 90 days use & then only on club organised runs & events.

h) Cars must still be legal & roadworthy.

i) Cars in the scheme will have an "identifier" which is said to be an attached bar on the number plate with the words "RESTRICTED USE ONLY" or similar.

Some of these things are already being touted as "Not Negotiable" which can be rejected straight away as no department has the ability to declare what is and isn't negotiable. The Minister might and the minister will have to account for that position in the Parliament. No one else has supreme ruling authority to tell the public to "hush now, do as you're told".

Lets please not forget the wide chasm of definition between the two phrases "Public" and "Public Servant"

(2) Things which are acceptable and easily wise decisions for inclusion.

a) Cars must be 30 years or older.

b) Log books may be required

c) People are penalised for non compliance. Steep fines, impounding the vehicle for 30 days & delicencing the vehicle and exclusion of the individual from entering into the scheme for 5 years (as examples only) would not phase most right minded people who don't break the rules.

d) The cars must (like any other vehicle) be kept in good order, be roadworthy and street legal. This means complying with VSB-14 or the engineering certificate that belongs to the car or the Street Rod National Guidelines. Very straight forward & simple.

e) The "Identifier" - Whatever the department defines as being attached to the number plate to signify to authorities that its on the scheme is not only fair but actually required and wise. If its as is rumoured I doubt anyone right minded will care too much. Plenty of cars run the Vintage identifier or the Veteran identifier on the number plate.

3) What isn't required and why...

a) "Club involvement is required" - No it isn't at all, clubs do not need extra burdens such as organising events, runs & cruises to keep members happy as well as policing & enforcing compliance to the scheme and extra administration to keep the department happy. Forcing people to join a club to access the scheme when its not required is what's referred to as "Third Line Enforcement" - its an ugly solution to a problem that doesn't exist.

The scheme would largely be taken up by those already in clubs and those borderline thinking of joining a club. People in country areas cannot. I spoke with 2 people from Jerramungup who are 160kms from the nearest club. I received an email from a chap from Carnarvon today, again no club. Got emails from 3 others across the Pilbara & if you think they can form a club, no you'll need 10 people and those 3 are 200kms at the closest. This scheme if connected to club membership will be appealing to metro car owners only & then only those who are keen to join a club or already in a club. There are many people who do not want to join a club. Start your own club? Well its likely a eligible club will have to be an incorporated body.

There's also the case that this is for personal reduced road use, not club life. If a person wants to duck down the shops, go for a joy ride on a great day, drive their daughter & date to the school ball, take the wife out for an evening meal, attend a hot rodder's funeral or go for an impromptu run anywhere they have limited or no ability under the club only prospect. Its dictating use of personal property.

b) "Extra administration is required." No it isn't at all. With a simple logbook (or App log book) a car owner can record their allotted day's driving before leaving and they're done. With the number plate identifier the police can pull the vehicle over for a log book check if they need to, all in order and their on their way. With it being a Logbook App the police don't even have to pull them over, just access the App system, punch in the number plate and see if they're on a pre-logged day of use or if they're outside their 90 days. Simple. No onus on a club, its left up to the individual to do the right thing or suffer the consequences if they don't. It really is that simple

Its does not need to be a club managed trip on club organised event, they can go to the shops to get the paper, go to a family outing, take the wife or significant other out, do the school ball, the wedding because its about life on limited days of road use, NOT club life.

c) "The Indentifier means police will hassle car owners" -  No. Flatly No.
Its a small price yet wise price to pay. Already we have Taxi plates in WA, we have Vintage identifier, Veteran Club Identifiers and we also have Farm Plates for limited road use of tractors, trucks, farm utes & fire fighting units. None have resulted in unfair police scrutiny, none require a club sanction,  policing or approval, NONE. The individual is solely responsible and if they break compliance they & only they rightly suffer the consequences.

d) All other states have this as a club based registration scheme so we have to as well - Well no.
I'm not certain all states have this solely as a club based scheme but even if they do, they are other jurisdictions, they are not Western Australia and we can design and implement  a better, simpler scheme that is available to all Western Australians no matter where in WA's 2.6 million square kilometres they live.

At the end of the day, if the car is unroadworthy on the scheme, it would be unroadworthy on a normal registration. Don't keep an unroadworthy car.

At the end of the day, if you drive in a reckless or unsafe manner on the scheme, it would be unsafe and reckless on normal registration. Don't do that.

Its not rocket science, it doesn't have to be onerous and cumbersome to adhere to or comply with. It can be simple. It also can not only be made simple with consequences laid at the feet of transgressing individuals but with the smarter, simpler scheme framework rural & regional people will be able to access the scheme instead of being unfairly disadvantaged.

* Background information - https://www.mediastatements.wa.gov.au/Pages/McGowan/2020/01/McGowan-Government-flags-classic-car-and-street-rod-rego-discount.aspx