XN000022-1978-01-13 — Page 9

FRIDAY, JANUARY 13, 1978

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WIDER RANGE OF LUCKY CAR NUMBERS FOR AUCTION

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MOTORISTS WILL SOON BE ABLE TO +BID+ FOR A MUCH WIDER RANGE OF +LUCKY+ VEHICLE REGISTRATION NUMBERS,

AT PRESENT ONLY SPECIAL REGISTRATION NUMBERS LISTED IN THE SIXTH SCHEDULE TO THE ROAD TRAFFIC (REGISTRATION AND LICENSING OF VEHICLES) REGULATIONS ARE CONSIDERED LUCKY AND SOLD BY AUCTION.

OTHER REGISTRATION NUMBERS, THAT IS NON-SCHEDULED NUMBERS, ARE CURRENTLY ALLOCATED IN STRICT SEQUENCE IN THE ORDER OF INDIVIDUAL APPLICATIONS FOR REGISTRATION OF VEHICLES.

A SPOKESMAN FOR THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT SAID THAT FREQUENT ENQUIRIES HAD BEEN RECEIVED FROM MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC FOR REGIST- RATION NUMBERS WHICH ARE NOT ON THE LIST OF LUCKY NUMBERS,

HE SAID THAT THE NUMBERS THEY ENQUIRED ABOUT MIGHT HAVE A COMBINATION OF NUMBERS WHICH MEAN LUCK OR PROSPERITY, OR THE NUMBERS MIGHT COINCIDE WITH THE IR HOUSE NUMBERS OR THE MODEL OF THEIR CARS.

THE SPOKESMAN SAID THAT IT WAS GENERALLY NOT POSSIBLE TO DECIDE IN ADVANCE WHICH NON-SCHEDULED NUMBERS MIGHT BE CONSIDERED LUCKY AND THEREFORE IT WAS NOT POSSIBLE TO DEAL WITH THEM UNDER THE EXIST- ING PROVISIONS REGULATING THE AUCTION OF SCHEDULED NUMBERS.

AMENDING LEGISLATION IS THEREFORE BEING SOUGHT TO ENABLE REGULATIONS TO BE MADE BY THE GOVERNOR-IN-COUNCIL EMPOWERING THE COMMISSIONER FOR TRANSPORT TO SELL BY AUCTION AT A RESERVE PRICE OF $1,000 NON-SCHEDULED NUMBERS APPLIED FOR OR WHICH THE COMMISSIONER CONSIDERS SUITABLE FOR AUCTION.

ONLY NON-SCHEDULED NUMBERS THAT HAVE NOT BEEN ISSUED IN THE ORDINARY MANNER WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE FOR AUCTION.

+UNDER THE PROPOSALS AN APPLICANT WILL HAVE TO DEPOSIT $1,000 WITH THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT AND SUBSEQUENTLY THE NUMBER WILL BE PUT UP FOR AUCTION, THE SPOKESMAN EXPLAINED.

+WHEN THE NUMBER COMES UP FOR AUCTION AND IF THERE IS NO OTHER BIDDER THE NUMBER WILL GO TO THE APPLICANT FOR $1,000, BUT IF THERE ARE OTHER BIDDERS HE WILL HAVE TO COMPETE WITH THEM FOR THE NUMBER. IF HE IS UNSUCCESSFUL THE $1,000 DEPOSIT WILL BE RETURNED.+

THE PROCEEDS FROM ALL SALES OF LUCKY+ REGISTRATION NUMBERS GO TO THE GOVERNMENT LOTTERIES FUND WHICH ARE USED IN SOCIAL WELFARE PROJECTS.

SINCE MAY 1973, 35 AUCTIONS OF +LUCKY+ NUMBERS HAVE BEEN ORGANISED BY THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT WITH THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF MONEY REALISED SO FAR AT ABOUT $6.3 MILLION.

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