The Government has updated its no-deal Brexit guidance for coach and bus drivers, adding further detail on the subject of number plates, registration documents and insurance requirements.
If the UK leaves without a deal on 29 March, coaches and buses may need to display a GB sticker if they have a Euro-style plate (featuring a blue box with the EU and GB symbols).
Alternatively, no GB sticker will be required if the number plates are replaced with ones featuring the GB sign but not the EU flag.
When it comes to registration documents, the Government advises drivers to carry their vehicle registration documents with them when driving abroad (either a V5C log book or a VE103 document, which acts as proof that the driver is allowed to use their hired or leased vehicle abroad).
Dependent on the European Commission deciding whether or not to check UK vehicles for proof of insurance, drivers of UK-registered vehicles may need to carry a motor insurance Green Card when driving in the EU and EEA in the event of a no-deal Brexit.
Without a deal, there’s also a possibility that UK residents involved in road accidents in the EU will not be able to make claims via the Claims Representative or the UK Motor Insurers’ Bureau (MIB).
Instead, drivers may have to bring a claim against either the driver or the insurer of the vehicle in the EU or EEA country where the accident happened. This may involve bringing the claim in the local language.
Additionally, if UK drivers are involved in accidents with uninsured or untraced drivers in the EU, they may not receive compensation – although this will vary from country to country.
Those involved in any road accidents in the EU before we leave are advised to bring about legal proceedings in the UK (against either the insurer or the MIB) before 29 March, to avoid having to bring about proceedings against the driver or insurer in the EU.
