A pilot project to allow automobile owners to decide their own
licence plate numbers will be launched in Beijing, Tianjin,
Hangzhou and Shenzhen as of August 12, said Meng Hongwei, assistant
minister of public security (MPS), yesterday.
"The reform will meet auto buyers' personal demands on choosing
favourite numbers," Meng said at a press conference.
"It will help public security bureaux strengthen traffic
administration of motor vehicles as well."
Just like many foreigners in the West who would avoid the number
13, many Chinese believe numbers like "6" or "8" are
auspicious.
In
many places, people pay to pursue the lucky numbers, even by
illegal means, which have caused great chaos to local traffic
administration departments, said Meng.
With the rapid economic development and increase in incomes, buying
a car is no longer a dream for many families in China. The number
of automobiles is increasing at 15 per cent annually.
The number of private vehicles in 2001 reached 7.7 million,
accounting for 42.7 per cent of the 18 million in the country. In
some economically advanced areas, the figure has surpassed 50 per
cent, according to MPS statistics.
Under the current practice, auto owners had no choice but to get a
number designated by the traffic administration bureaux in advance,
though many of them would prefer selecting a number by themselves,
noted Meng.
Furthermore, the number of motor vehicles, especially in many small
and medium-sized cities, has reached the limits of the current
number-plate system, he said.
Meanwhile, the new system, the so-called 2002-type number plate
system, will increase the limit of numbers from 340,000 to 36
million, providing a larger selection room for vehicle owners, said
Chen Jie, head of the MPS Traffic Administration Bureau.
From August 12 to December 31, people who buy new motor vehicles in
these four cities can apply for a number plate composed of three
English letters and three Arabic numbers or six Arabic numbers in
two groups, Chen said.
More importantly, the new system has also adopted advanced
anti-counterfeit technologies, Chen said.
For example, the traffic administration bureaux will utilize
special materials to build the new number plate as well as print
bar codes and vehicle identification numbers on it, he added.
Chen also added that in order to avoid unnecessary chaos, the new
system would bar number plates with triple letters or triple Arabic
numbers during the pilot project period.
After the first round of the pilot project in the four cities, MPS
will conduct more experiments in more cities in the following year
before fully adopting the system nationwide, he added.
(China
Daily August 6, 2002)