Calls for tighter regulation for selling car number plates in Ireland
There have been calls for the regulation of sales of Irish number plates in Ireland following claims that criminals were using plates to avoid the M50 toll and hide the identity of stolen vehicles.
There is currently no legislation in place monitoring how registrations are sold, which has seen the system being abused. People will legally purchase a number plate to use on a different car meaning they can evade the toll charges on the M50 and mask stolen cars by disguising their identity.
The National Roads Authority admit that there have been instances of vehicles passing through the M50 toll using false plates, but they say they now have systems in place to quickly detect any signs of fraud.
A spokesperson said, “Our systems are able to cross-reference car registration plates with vehicle records in Shannon and if the plates do not match the car this can be flagged.”
In the UK and Germany, people are required to show proof of ownership, like a vehicle licence certificate, to buy any new authentic number plates.
To replace a lost or stolen plate in Germany, car owners must produce two documents that show that the vehicle is registered and who the current owner is. They also must have a document from the police confirming that the number plate was lost or stolen and a certificate from the registration office verifying the same.
Det Sgt Finbarr Garland, the head of the Garda stolen vehicles unit thinks the current system in Ireland does need to change. He said, “The system does need regulating. The plates can be bought like a packet of sweets. There is no way of tracing the company who made up the plates used on a vehicle involved in a serious offence, or indeed the person who requested it.”
The UK has a market where the controls are a lot tighter and Det Sgt Garland wants to adopt a similar approach. He said, “The UK have legislation in place now whereby any person who requires a licence plate for a vehicle must produce identification and the vehicle registration document for that vehicle. The plate itself is traceable back to the supplier who made it up. They also must be licensed to make up plates.”
See also:
No comments yet
