Personalised Number Plate Information

NUMBER PLATES:

The Licensing Agency, Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) is all set to offer 250 licensing plates comprising 3, 4 and 5 digits in its forthcoming 51st online auction. Plates on offer bear the Codes (H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, and T). Registration of bidders starts on Sunday 21st January. The bidding will start at 08:00 am on 28th Jan 2018 and continue for five days.

"The wide participation of the public in online or open auctions and the positive competition to grab such numbers underscore the importance of holding these auctions in bringing happiness & satisfaction to number plate enthusiasts," Sultan Al Marzouqi, Director of Vehicles licensing, RTA Licensing Agency.

Al Marzouqi highlighted the importance of online auctions to a large segment of community members who prefer such particular auctions as they find the liberty of selecting their fancied numbers in a hassle-free environment. "These auctions also contribute to enhancing the online services of the RTA under its annual plan aimed at improving the quality and standard of processing public transactions," he commented.

"Participation in the auction requires the client to have an account opened through RTA's website (www.rta.ae) or use the 'New User' link to obtain a Username and Password. For a new registration, the user is required to have either a vehicle registered in Dubai or a driver license issued from Dubai. For participating in the auction, the bidder is required to issue a security cheque to the order of the RTA amounting to AED5,000 and deposit it to one of RTA's Customers Happiness Centers at Umm Al Ramool, Bur Dubai, Deira or Al Tawar Municipal Centre. In the case of payment by a credit card, the client must also deposit five thousand dirhams as security. Clients have also to pay 120 dirhams as participation fees through the website (www.rta.ae)" explained Al Marzouqi.

"The successful bidder has to clear the due amount within ten working days from the Auction Closing Date by cash or credit card through centres of service providers or RTA's Customer Happiness Centers. Cash payments are acceptable up to AED 50,000. For higher amounts, customers can make payment by a certified check or credit card, or pay online using a credit card too. Failure to clear due payments will result in entering the bidder in the list of defaulters," he added.

"A dedicated team at RTA's Call Center has been furnished with all information related to the auction, and stands ready to respond to any public inquiries relating to procedures of participation or payment through the toll-free number 8009090," concluded Al Marzouqi.

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For the motorist who has everything, including a sense of humour! - Reg Plate Special Cherished number plate dealer Image Registrations are offering a unique opportunity for the savvy motorist to show they have the vehicle, the reg plate and a sense of humour! The East Yorkshire based company are marketing the ultimate reg plate to make a tongue in cheek statement.

car registration VUL 64R is offered for sale at £3395, a snip compared to the 'phantom' or 'hummer' it may well end up displayed on.

We think this registration plate will appeal to clients who have all the toys and appreciate the fun aspect of this unique reg number plate" said Bruno Morris at Image Registrations. He went on to say "the plate reads so well as it is almost a prefect spelling of vulgar!".

VUL 64R can be purchased now through Image Registrations, online at www.regplates.com or by telephone on 01482 627 628."

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T’S happened again – and set a record: Someone paid $745,000 for the numerical NSW plate ‘29’, eclipsing the previous auction record of $689,000 paid for NSW ‘2’ back in 2003.

It also set an Australian auction record for a double-digit number plate, topping the $530,000 paid for the Victorian plate ‘21’ at Shannons Melbourne Winter Auction last July.

Other strong number plate sales were $82,000 paid for NSW ‘9191’ and $35,000 for NSW ‘85758’, taking total sales on the night for the six heritage plates on offer to $956,000.

Classic motorcycles were also hot property, topped by $37,000 paid for an ‘as new’ 1975 Norton Commando Mk3 850cc with just 29km delivery on its odometer, and a 1950s Austin J40 pedal car sold for $9300.

Other impressive results from the auction included a restored 1964 Porsche 356C Coupe which went for $137,000, a restored 1949 48-215 ‘FX’ Holden which commanded $46,000, a 1962 MGA 1600 sports car fetched $52,000 and a stately and exceptionally low mileage Mercedes-Benz 300B ‘Adenauer’ limousine first owned by the Victa lawnmower family sold for $50,000.

As well, a superbly-restored 1970 Ford XY Falcon GT sedan sold for $180,000.

Other News:

A shortage of vehicle number plates has hit the Kenyan market, causing a backlog in the clearance of cars at Mombasa port.

The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) attributed the shortage that started two weeks ago to increased registration of cars that has outpaced supply of number plates.

“Demand is far much higher than supply. There are just too many vehicles being imported into the country, especially second-hand cars,” NTSA director of registration and licensing.

She added that the supply issue will ease after Kamiti Maximum Security Prison, where the number plates are manually made, increases supply.
The law mandates the prisons department to make the plates.

Official data shows that Kenyans bought 15,858 used vehicles in the first quarter of the year, compared to 14,346 units in a similar period of last year, representing a 10.5 per cent growth.

It is mandatory for imported second hand vehicles to be fitted with number plates before leaving the port.

The country imports about 6,000 second hand cars monthly, according to dealers.
Dealers said that the shortage had hit them hard as they were forced to incur storage charges at the port amid cash flow hiccups due to delays as some had taken loans.

“We are incurring heavy storage charges as the cars are detained at the port despite having paid duty and customs clearance cash in advance,” said Charles Munyori, the secretary-general of Kenya Auto Bazaar Association, a lobby for second hand car dealers.

The storage charges are based on the volume of vehicles and the number of days they take at the Mombasa port or at container freight stations.

Industry insiders, however, said the number plate problem normally occurs every time a new registration number comes up as importers delay registration to take advantage of the newest numbers.

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The three-letter scheme preserved the area letter codes as the second pair of letters in the set of three, and the single letter area codes were deleted (since prefixing a single letter code would create a duplicate of a two-letter code). In some areas, the available numbers with this scheme started to run out in the 1950s, and in those areas, a reversed sequence was introduced, i.e. 1 AAA to 999 YYY. The ever-increasing popularity of the car can be gauged by noting that these sequences ran out within ten years, and by the beginning of the 1960s, a further change was made in very popular areas, introducing 4-number sequences with the one and two letter area codes, but in the reverse direction to the early scheme (i.e. 1 A to 9999 YY). Often number plates were on hinges, as petrol tank caps were located under the number plates on some cars.

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Drivers have been warned that they can be stripped of their car’s number plate if they break the law.

Devon and Cornwall Police revealed the circumstances in which plates can be seized as they revealed how many motorists had been stopped for having dodgy plates.

The force said three drivers a week were stopped, on average, in the last 12 months for having illegal plates.

So-called “non conforming” number plates include those that have been mis-spaced and those with italics.

In response to a request under the Freedom of Information Act, a Devon and Cornwall Police spokesman said: “The force will also contact DVLA (Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency) in cases where the number plate has been mis-spaced.

“Purchasers of the registration mark do not own the plate, they own the right to place it on their vehicle, subject to conditions. Mis-spacing is one of them.

“On receipt of two reports of the same mark being mis-spaced they will remove it from the owner, who may have paid several thousand pounds for it. Often the illegal number plates are purchased on the internet and specified not for road use.”

On its website the DVLA also warned that you could be fined up to £1,000, and that your car “will fail its MOT test if you drive with incorrectly displayed number plates”.

THESE ARE THE DVLA’S RULES
For vehicles with new or replacement number plates fitted from 1 September 2001, registration numbers can no longer be shown over three lines (unless the vehicle was first registered before 1 January 1973) or if a vehicle is constructed before 1 January 1976 and is registered in the historic tax class and is exempt from vehicle tax.

Also, the letters and numbers (characters) on number plates bought since 1 September 2001 will need to meet the following standards.

Characters must be 79mm tall

Characters (except the number 1 or letter I) must be 50mm wide

The character stroke (the thickness of the black print) must be 14mm

The space between characters must be 11mm

The space between the age identifier and the random letters must be 33mm

The margins at the top, bottom and side of the plate must be 11mm

Vertical space between the age identifier and the random numbers must be 19mm

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Located in the heart of East Yorkshire, Image Registrations offer a fast, friendly and efficient service for buying and selling cherished vehicle registration numbers. Our team of trained staff will professionally handle your transfer as swiftly as possible, with some transfers taking just 24 hours from receipt of documentation. We offer advice without technical 'jargon', and are always competitive on price. Our valuations department can give you an accurate market value on your registration number by post or by e-mail. Del Stanley
As well as having an internet presence, we also regularly advertise in many of the 'National' publications where we offer a selection of registrations owned by us for sale.

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Police patrolling the M6 north pulled over a pricey Lamborghini after it was spotted missing a NUMBERPLATE.

The pricey supercar - which can cost around £200,000 - was stopped in Staffordshire on Sunday.

It is not uncommon for number plates to be stolen from vehicles.

Criminals target cars that are similar to the car they are driving, in an attempt to avoid apprehension and identification when committing crimes.

If you ask someone who has had their plates stolen, they will soon tell you how costly, inconvenient and stressful it can be.

Police are asking community members to do all they can to secure their number plates and make them more difficult to remove. Police will continue to target and detect offenders, but they need your help.

If you notice your neighbour’s registration plate is recently missing, tell them, and encourage them to report it to police immediately.

If your number plates are stolen you will firstly need to report the theft to your local police. You will need to contact Service Tasmania and pay to get new plates. You will also need to contact your insurance company.

You will have some explaining to do if you are pulled up by the police as it is also an offence to drive a car without plates affixed.

A stolen number plate is most likely being used on a car that is being driven by someone without a licence or is disqualified from driving, and is potentially an unsafe or dangerous driver. They are also actively avoiding police in order to commit a range of crimes including petrol stealing, car theft and burglaries.

Thefts are occurring during the day and night and are being stolen from cars parked in all areas including carparks, public streets and private driveways.

Park your car in a secure place, off the street, ideally with garaging and sensor lighting. Stay alert, report suspicious behaviour to police.

Kicking off on 6 February to coincide with 'Safer Internet Day', the campaign seeks to remind people that the only place to find DVLA services is on Gov.uk, and that any text or email asking for personal information is not from the DVLA and should be deleted without clicking.

Aimed at all motorists, the campaign's emphasis is on digital channels, as online is where phishing is most prevalent.

But the DVLA recognises that, given the broad age range of its audience, many motorists renew their car tax by phone. The organisation is therefore targeting traditional media too.

With social the medium of choice (via the DVLA's Twitter and Facebook channels), impactful imagery is being used to convey the message, built on a 'mask' visual depicting danger and crookery.

The campaign's central message is telling people what they should and should not expect when dealing with the DVLA online or on the phone. Activity encourages people to click through to a DVLA news story that gives details on staying safe online and on the phone. It provides links to sites including Get Safe Online and various government portals where they can report suspicious behaviour.

The timescale of the campaign is indefinite, with the DVLA planning to reinforce its messaging on a regular basis into the long term.

Measuring the campaign's impact will be a critical element in the push. The DVLA will track the number of views to its news story and is monitoring impressions and engagement on social media, its media coverage and calls and complaints made to its call centre.

Liz Rees, the DVLA's head of external comms, said: "We often receive messages from customers and colleagues about refund scams purporting to be from DVLA. More recently, people have been posting their documents online without realising that their personal details are clearly visible. It’s important that motorists understand the risks of posting personal details online.

"We also want to remind them that we will not send any texts or emails asking for personal details and that the only place to find official DVLA services and information is Gov.uk."

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Eric Morecambes Cherished Number Rescued!

Eric Morecambe's 1971 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow has been spared from the scrapheap at the last minute.

Peter Yates, who runs a wedding car firm in Morecambe, spotted the car in a Shrewsbury junkyard just 24 hours before it was due to be dismantled.

He said finding the car - which had the number plate EM100 when Morecambe owned it - was a 'miracle'.

The car was owned by the comic from 1971 and 1974 - as shown by the original order note - and Yates says it still smells of cigar smoke.

How the car came to be in a scrapheap is unknown. Seven years ago the car, including the personalised number plate, sold for £36,000 at auction.

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More than seven million people tuned in to watch the Queen’s speech on television on Christmas Day - but thousands also logged on to the Swansea-based DVLA’s online services.

Figures from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency in Morriston reveal that despite it being December 25, many still found time to keep on top of their vehicle administration, from taxing cars to buying personalised registrations.

So, in addition to the estimated 10 million turkeys eaten on the big day, 8,550 vehicles were taxed or declared off road online, 521 people informed the agency online they had bought or sold a vehicle, and more than 1,600 people applied for their first provisional driving licence.

Oliver Morley, chief executive of the Swansea-based DVLA, said: “Giving customers choice in how, where and when they use our services is at the heart of what we do.

“We are committed to creating digital services that meet the needs of our customers and clearly, these services are allowing people the opportunity to fit their admin into their lifestyle – 365 days a year.”

Other figures for online activity on Christmas Day include 136 people paying a fine, 621 people buying a personalised registration number, 456 people applying for a duplicate licence, 727 telling the DVLA of their new address and 11,343 viewing their driving licence.

THERE are a number of mistakes that can be made on personalised number plates that could see drivers land a £1,000 and also fail their MOT. Here is what they are and how to avoid them.

Illegal number plates could see thousands of Brits face fines and even make them fail their MOT.

Certain personalised number plates have the potential to be costly errors for drivers.

While a personalised number plate can be, to some people, a nice form of expression, they could also be costly.

Personalised number plate firm Regplates.com encourages drivers to use a degree of imagination and interpretation while designing one, but sticking to the traditional number plate formats.

According to the company, however, 15,000 drivers across the UK have been fined for having an illegal plates over the past three years.

The worst offenders come from London with 3,058 offences clocked while North Wales and Norfolk also totted up over 1,100 each.

This includes plates that did not conform to regulations, cars without a front or back plate or ones with indistinguishable/obscured plates.

It is a legal requirement for a car’s numberplate to be clear and legible and failure to meet these criteria can result in £1,000 fine, loss of the personal registration number and/or a failed MOT.

There are other modifications that drivers can also be penalised for.

These include using the wrong colours for the lettering or for the background of the plates.

Number plates should have black characters on a white background at the front of the car and on a yellow background on the back of the car.

Spacing is also crucial and drivers should ensure that the characters on their plate are correctly spaced.

Non-confirming backgrounds or stickers that could interfere with the legibility of a plate are also factors that carry a fine risk.

The standard font used on all number plates is ‘Charles Wright’ and it is the only one deemed acceptable for motorists to have.

Similarly, the flag on the left hand side of the plate must also be correct.

Acceptable flags include: The EU flag, The Union Jack, The St George Cross, The Scottish Saltire (St Andrew Cross) and The Red Dragon of Wales.

The transport department has clarified that all vehicles registered in the state must have High Security Registration Plates (HSRP) fitted by January 15, 2018. The department has plans to impose a fine of Rs 500 on those who fail to comply with the requirement.

The state government had in November 2012 made it mandatory for all new vehicles to have HSRP number plates. But the vehicles registered before 2012 were given exemption. That exemption has now been done away with and the transport department, following a Supreme Court order has mandated HSRP for any and all vehicles registered in the state. The apex court had in November this year issued notices and sought response from five states on a contempt plea alleging non-compliance of the order related to ensuring high security registration plates (HSRP) for all vehicles. A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud issued notice to the governments of five states and sought their response in eight weeks.

It was contended that despite the apex court directive earlier in 2017, the five state governments - Gujarat, Assam, Delhi, Haryana and Bihar had not complied with the directions.The transport department stated that it has also come to their notice that several vehicles registered after November 2012 are moving without the HSRP number plate.

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2010 Car Number Plates

We're now just over a month away from the introduction of the 2010 number plate on all new cars hitting the road after the beginning of March.

While the excitement surrounding the introduction of new number plates may go over some people's heads, during the past few years a real demand has grown for personalised plates, with some selling for an absolute fortune at auction.

Music legend Elton John's former number plate ELT 70N recently went up for auction for just under £1,000, but that's nothing compared to the £113,815 one crazy person (in the nicest sense) shelled out on a 1 HRH number plate auctioned by the DVLA at the beginning of 2009. And even that has some way to go to surpass £254,000 paid to take ownership of the 51 NGH plate.

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DVLA Personalised Registrations’ three-day live autumn auction will get underway this week at the Cambridge Belfry Hotel.

The Agency has once again delivered a wide-ranging blend of 1,250 personalised registrations to suit all tastes and budgets that will go under the hammer during the three-day event being staged in Cambourne.

While there are a whole host of registrations aligned to supercars like the Ferrari 812 Superfast with 812 S and 812 SA and the famed Aston Martin with A57 TON, as ever DVLA Personalised Registrations has delivered an array to suit all tastes ranging from those reflecting names such as B116 JON, D166 ORY, F41 TH and RY11 ANS, through to quirkier offerings such as HE16 HTS, 544 MBA and RUS 55T.

Jody Davies, DVLA Personalised Registrations’ Senior Sales Manager, said: “We have experienced another hugely successful year with a great number of registrations surpassing our expectations. Our last live auction held in the summer fell just four lots short of a 100 per cent sell out and we are hoping that success will continue with our autumn sale.”

Just some of the 1,250 personalised registrations included in the forthcoming sale include:

121 A (reserve £2,500), A61 LLY (£250), B111 RTY (£250), CA11 DDY (£400), DDH 110N (£250), E88 ONY (£250), FR12 ANK(£400), GHO 57T (£300), GLO 88E (£300), HE16 HTS (£700), HUG 9H (£350), JPE 4R (£350), KA15 ERS (£700), KHA 5N(£350), LAM 80L (£300), LL11 OYD (£400), MA15 EYS (£700), 544 MBA (£1,200), M42 RCO (£250), N41 NCY (£250), 96 O(£2,500), OAT 1S (£500), OSC 42R (£300), ROW 60AT (£250), 812 S (£2,500), SH11 MBA (£400), 250 T (£2,500), 75 US(£2,200), 2 VAN (£1,200), 600 W (£2,500), WY11 ATT (£400), 993 X (£2,500), YA11 CHT (£400), YOU 45K (£300).

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