Fewer Motorists Are Joining Numbers Game
Sydney Morning Herald
Friday September 28, 1990
The number of people who bought personalised number plates in NSW in the past financial year was about 5,000 fewer than in the previous 12 months.
The number of custom plates sold also dropped last year, by as much as 10 per cent.
But the Roads and Traffic Authority denies that the downturn is a result of a souring economy.
The RTA's manager for special plates, Mr John Thogersen, said one reason fewer people had bought personalised plates in the past year was that the waiting time for delivery had on two occasions increased from four weeks to 10.
On both occasions, the Sydney manufacturer of the plates, Adept Page, had problems with deliveries of Colourbond steel, Mr Thogersen said.
"In March, the manufacturers of the raw product apparently delivered the wrong gauge steel," Mr Thogersen said. "It was unacceptable and had to be returned. This accounted for delays in April and May."
Mr Thogersen said personalised plates cost $119. "If you're going to spend that much money, but the product you want takes 10 weeks to be made, you're likely to spend your money elsewhere."
But a spokesman for Adept Page said that while the time between receiving an order from the RTA and delivery had been longer in April and May, it was never as long as 10 weeks. He said delivery time now was a maximum of two weeks.
Mr Thogersen said the RTA sold 2,500 special personalised Bicentenary number plates in the 1988-89 financial year, which also could account for above-average sales figures.
The waiting time for personal and custom plates was now back to four weeks. "This is still not acceptable," he said. "We're working all the time to reduce this even further.
"It's difficult to do, though, because the company which manufactures special plates also manufactures normal number plates. Normal plates must be given first priority."
As for custom plates, Mr Thogersen said, NSW had almost reached saturation point.
"There can never be two of the same plate," he said. "People are asking for plates that are no longer available, and they don't like the alternatives."
Last year, the RTA issued about 20,000 personalised plates and more than 4,000 custom plates.
It is illegal to sell personal plates. If an owner no longer wants one, the plate is destroyed and the name re-issued to another applicant after six months.
Personalised plates were introduced in 1969. In the first year, the RTA sold five a day at $25 each. Custom plates were introduced in 1983. So far 8,500 have been issued.
In seven years only two plates have slipped through the RTA's censoring process and have had to be recalled. One read "Merde", the other "IOUSFA".
© 1990 Sydney Morning Herald
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