FRIDAY, JULY 7, 1978
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WIDER RANGE OF LUCKY CAR NUMBERS NOW AVAILABLE
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MOTORISTS CAN NOW BID FOR A MUCH WIDER RANGE OF LUCKY VEHICLE REGISTRATION NUMBERS UNDER NEW REGULATIONS MADE BY - THE GOVERNOR-IN-COUNCIL.
THE NEW REGULATIONS, KNOWN AS THE ROAD TRAFFIC (REGISTRATION AND LICENSING OF VEHICLES) (AMENDMENT) (NO. 2) REGULATIONS 1978 WERE PUBLISHED IN TODAY'S GOVERNMENT GAZETTE.
PREVIOUSLY ONLY SPECIAL REGISTRATION NUMBERS LISTED IN THE SIXTH SCHEDULE TO THE ROAD TRAFFIC (REGISTRATION AND LICENSING OF VEHICLES) REGULATIONS WERE CONSIDERED LUCKY AND SOLD BY AUCTION.
BUT UNDER THE NEW REGULATIONS THE COMMISSIONER FOR TRANSPORT IS EMPOWERED TO SELL BY AUCTION AT A RESERVE PRICE OF $1,000 ANY NON-SCHEDULED NUMBER APPLIED FOR OR WHICH THE COMMISSIONER CONSIDERS SUITABLE FOR AUCTION.
A SPOKESMAN FOR THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT SAID THAT THE NEW REGULATIONS STEM FROM FREQUENT REQUESTS BY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC FOR REGISTRATION NUMBERS WHICH WERE NOT ON THE LIST OF LUCKY NUMBERS, SUCH AS THOSE WITH A COMBINATION OF NUMBERS WHICH MEAN LUCK OR PROSPERITY, OR COINCIDING WITH THEIR HOUSE NUMBERS OR THE MODEL OF THEIR CARS.
AS A RESULT OF THE NEW REGULATIONS, MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC CAN NOW APPLY FOR ANY NUMBER AS YET UNASSIGNED IN THE CURRENT SERIES BY PAYING A DEPOSIT OF $1,000.
THE NUMBER WILL THEN BE PUT UP FOR AUCTION AND IF THERE ARE NO OTHER BIDDERS THE APPLICANT WILL BE ALLOCATED THE NUMBER. HOWEVER, IF THERE ARE OTHER BIDDERS FOR THAT PARTICULAR NUMBER AND IF THE APPLICANT IS UNSUCCESSFUL IN THE BIDDING HE WILL HAVE HIS $1,000 DEPOSIT RETURNED.
THE SPOKESMAN EMPHASISED THAT THE COMMISSIONER FOR TRANSPORT RESERVED THE RIGHT TO DECIDE ON THE AVAILABILITY OF ANY REGISTRATION NUMBER BEING APPLIED FOR.
HE SAID: IN PRACTICE THIS WILL MEAN THAT ONLY UNASSIGNED REGISTRATION NUMBERS FROM THE SERIES AVAILABLE AT THE TIME OF APPLICATION WILL BE CONSIDERED.+
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