Kibkom North Cyprus Forum

Went for the MOT today - what a pantomime.

Checked with great care to ensure that, lights, indicators, brakes, tyres etc were all in tiptop order. Rose early and went to the carwash.
Car now gleaming in showroom condition. Went to tax office ( had to park half a mile away due to car parks ans side roads all bursting at the seams), duly paid for test and proceeded to the Police MOT station.

Mechanic was armed with bendy halogen torch and disappeared under the bonnet for several minutes. Then proceeded to check all lights plus brake lights. Then did a circuit of the car, pointed to rear number plate ( which had faded slightly due to the sun) and said must be changed - come back when this is done. When I asked why, as the number was clearly visible, was told all number plates must be bright yellow!!!

Went to number plate shop and asked for new YELLOW rear plate which was printed without a space between letters and numbers. Queried this and was told this is a new regulation - no space. Then the boss pointed to my front plate and advised that as this now read differently from the rear one, this too needed changing.

Returned to MOT station where the mechanic who had done the test had gone to lunch. Explained that I had changed plates as requested and was waved through to the office to collect my certificate. I noticed that the person before me had a much older car with a faded plate but was given a pass without question. I obviously chose the "jobsworth" and am now 30tl poorer.

You have to smile!!!!!!

The last time i went he didnt come out of his office to look at the car just wrote out the pass certificate.

Actually muffin, I don't smile anymore about this sort of thing. When we first moved here I thought it "quaint" and amusing, but now I don't, and think is symptomatic of the idiocy that permeates through the Civil Service (?) in this country. BTW, I bet the older car with the faded plates wasn't owned by a foreigner was it?

30TL for a number plate? Wow. For future ref, I paid 9TL, fitted, at the place next to Lifezone Gym, Alsancak.

the average cost in Girne is 15tl but that is for each plate so it was 30tl for the front and back i think muffin was saying. if you are living in or around Girne it doesn't make sense to drive all the way to Alsancak to save 6tl but if you're living that way and your number plate isn't in pristine condition then it may be worth changing it before you have to go for your mot. it is not just the English they are targeting as my husband is Turkish and had to change our number plate maybe the car that got away with it was a relative! lol

I brought a car to the island several years ago and eventually paid the duty and then had to get an MOT which was done in Nicosia.

The guy got under the bonnet with his bendy LED light and set about looking for the chassis number and then Engine number,he eventually got the engine number of a plug lead sticker which was a part number for the plug lead who am i to complain