navigating Department of Transport Perth

Hi guys,

Is there any successful navigation of the D.O.T. bureaucracy??

.............. anyways ..........

my understanding is that it would be best to run the vehicle to the D.O.T. licensing centre, hand in the TC plates ....... interesting that you still have them as there are stringent conditions that go hand in hand with the T.C. plates, vehicle inspections and insurance coverage being two of them.

Have the vehicle re-tagged/complianced - with two seats in it and move on from there, and try to get the vehicle licensed as a motor home.

Previous experience dictates that what happens WILL be a reflection on the people that you deal with on the ground ... on the day .... and how you treat them ............ regardless of the information you have previously sourced.

Hope it all goes well for you, installing a cargo barrier will stop you from installing other seats, if that is your need .............. please keep us posted.

Cheers,
Wayne & Sally.

Batman - A bureaucracy it is. A Govt Dept with so many rules and regulations, they can rarely interpret them properly themselves.
Talk to two different people in there, and you'll get little help, and quite often, two different conflicting sets of advice.

So - let me get this right. You want to transfer the ownership from another operator who was in the tour business - and you want to register it as a motorhome?
Firstly, the TC plates are not transferable, they are "permit" plates issued to a commercial operator for a specific use.

If the bus ("omnibus" in Department-speak) ownership is to be transferred to a private owner, the insurance category has to be changed, the number plates changed to private plates (new plates issued) the transfer form submitted, additional fees paid - and the omnibus MAY require inspection (go over the pits).

Now, the rub here, is that even a privately owned omnibus (not for hire or reward - with seating for more than 12 passengers), is still liable to much of the omnibus regulations that apply to commercial operators.

Virtually no omnibuses with substantial passenger-carrying capacity, are in private hands and registered as private vehicles.
The reasons being, that the Dept considers an omnibus with seating for more than 12 passengers as a commercial vehicle designed for hire or reward - and they do not have a category for private ownership of omnibuses, that still have passenger seating for more than 12 passengers.

Now, you're saying that you can't register the Coaster as a motorhome unless it has a bed and cooking facilities. These are obviously going to take time to install. So you are currently in limbo.
The simple solution that I see to your problem is to let the rego lapse, but send in a transfer form for the purchase and ownership transfer.

The Dept will issue you with a receipt stating the vehicle details, and that they recognise that ownership has been transferred to you, but that registration has lapsed until you present the vehicle for inspection and registration again.

Upon completion of the internals that you're installing to make it a motor home, you present the vehicle for inspection and re-registration.
This Departmental receipt is then proffered as proof that you're the legal owner, and it also cues them in to the fact that there is a full record of the vehicles previous rego details on file.

I have gone through this process with the Dept for a Mazda van that I purchased, that was being used as a campervan. The rego was current when I inspected it, but when I sent in the transfer, the rego had lapsed. The Dept sent me this receipt that identifies me as the new owner, and all I have to do is present this receipt upon inspection for re-registration, and all the vehicles previous rego records are still held on file, to smooth the re-registration.

You obviously need time to revamp the interior. By letting the rego lapse, you can re-register at your leisure - but by transferring the ownership, without registration, you have proof that you legally own the vehicle - and the Dept has the record of the vehicles rego history.

The Dept is mostly concerned that all registration or ownership transfers are above board and traceable. They have a problem with shonks trying to pull swift ones on them every day - with rebirthed vehicles - attempted ownership transfers with no paper records to back up the transfer - stolen vehicles being re-registered - and a 100 other shonky moves.

As a result, they are intent on tracking and tracing every single vehicle that has ever been registered - and who bought what from who, and where, to the nth degree.
If you present a vehicle with no plates, an unknown previous rego record - and minimal paperwork showing a sale - you get to fill out a lot of forms that involve asking lots of questions about the sale details - and this is also a statutory declaration.

I hope this helps you somewhat. A call to the Dept's Passenger Services Business Unit on 1300 660 147 might get you some advice and assistance. Just hope you don't get an officious Indian female dog Dept employee, who tries to browbeat you.

Commercial plates - http://www.transport.wa.gov.au/licensing/23569.asp

Passenger transport vehicle services - http://www.transport.wa.gov.au/taxis/15118.asp

Cheers - Ron.

I would speak the Kelmscott guys......they are pretty easy going and have always been helpful with sorting rego issues. They just sorted an issue with my dads 5th wheeler and Isuzu truck with QLD plates, whereas dealing over the phone and on the net prove very unhelpful. They even upgraded a licensing issue with the truck, and passed the trailer without filling checking the correct width with the awning.
BW.

Hi all
I am pleased to announce that we are now the proud owners of a 7 meter long panel van (ex tour bus). It went over the pits today and is now licensed with normal plates.
My thanks again to Wayne & Sally, Ron and BW for their advice and encouragement
Now comes the 'fun' of kitting it out
Cheers, Roslyn and Don