Officials plan destruction of over 4000 plates

| 24/04/2013

DVDL to destroy plates (229x300).jpg(CNS): The Department of Vehicle and Drivers’ Licensing is making plans to remove thousands of vehicles from the register and destroy the plates if owners fail to contact licensing about what should be just a short term suspension. The department said Wednesday that it currently has 4,312 suspended plates, with the oldest going as far back as 2000, that will be destroyed on 31 May if owners don’t contact the office to extend the extension or let them know what is happening with the related vehicles. Officials explained that suspending registration plates on cars is a temporary measure designed to last from three months up to the expiration date of the current licence coupon.

“If owners haves no plans to continue using the vehicle, then they should terminate the registration,” said DVDL Deputy Director Richard Simms. 

He said it was necessary to destroy them because so many people had suspended their vehicle’s registration years ago but had not returned to advise the department of their intention for the vehicle. Simms noted that the suspension period could be extended at the owner’s request.

According to the Traffic Law 2011, an extension should be applied for at the DVDL one week before a current licence coupon expires. Drivers who previously suspended their registration and plates, but whose suspensions have expired are asked to visit any DVDL location – on Crewe Road in George Town or in West Bay at Banks Plaza before the end of May to seek extensions.

“If we have not heard from these owners by that date, we’ll be forced to remove the vehicles from the vehicle register and destroy the plates,” Simms said.

For more information on the destruction of suspended registration plates, contact the DVDL at 945-8344.

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  1. Jonathan Macabee says:

    They always try to get dramatic with destroying stuff, like that really makes a big impact. Criminals always found alternatives and always will. Criminals are usually always a step ahead while enforcment is always a step behind.

  2. Anonymous says:

    just recycle the aluminum please. end of story.

  3. Anonymous says:

    I have bought several as souvenirs a few years ago. They were $8 each. None were matching.

    Why aren't they still doing that?

    • Anonymous says:

      Because it means revenue for government of course.. that is also a lot of valuable aluminum going to wasre. Cant they find a way to recycle it?

  4. Big whopper says:

    Why not sell them to tourist?

    • peter milburn says:

      I totally agree.Some years ago during one of the "Lets dump the plates"trip out to the north wall they couldnt tell how deep they were so just threw them over the side.My divers and many others were picking them up for weeks.Sell the things online EBAY whatever.Make something from them at least Jeeez What is wrong with you people?

  5. Anonymous says:

    Destroy? How about ‘recycle’? The plates are aluminum.

  6. Anonymous says:

    Keep up the good work!

  7. Anonymous says:

    Another mad crazy CIG system that clearly does not work. What a waste of everyone’s time and money.

  8. Anonymous says:

    Don't destroy them, sell them to the tourists! You could put a mark on them so that no one uses it on a car but they are worth quite a bit. 

  9. Anonymous says:

    You can also destroy the perfectly good set of plates I was forcedto replace last month because the inspector said so. Even the lady in the inspection office asked what was wrong with them.

  10. Rorschach says:

    hmmm,…just had another thought…there is potentially 10's of thousands of dollars the RCIPS is going to have to write off their "outstanding debts" list..

  11. Rorschach says:

    Really?  Destroy them?? Do you have any idea how many COLLECTORS there are that would PAY to own one of these..hello..can you say EBAY??  It never ceases to amaze me that this government will spend millions of dollars to have something produced and then spend even more money to have it destroyed…SMH..

    • Anonymous says:

      Or how much criminals would pay to have a spare license plate…  you know… just in case?  They can pay with cash and there is no record of the sale, right?