New vehicle registrations starting 1 January 2010 will be of the format



where A denotes the state as follows:

Agnasium: A
Enchiridion: E
Epiphany: P
Falahn: F
Fondrop: D
Mentagnus: M
Midlands: L
Northern Isles: N
Olin: Q
Oredia: R
Thorby: T
Yare: Y
Valaxia: V

B is a serial letter (ie AAA 9999 is followed by ABA 0001);

C is a letter denoting the year of registration as follows:

2010 A
2011 B
2012 C
2013 D
2014 E
2015 F
2016 G
2017 H
2018 J
2019 K
2020 L
2021 M
2022 N
2023 P
2024 Q
2025 R
2026 S
2027 T
2028 U
2029 V
2030 W
2031 X
2032 Y
2033 Z

and 1234 are four numbers denoting the sequence of plates within that state, series, and month.

Note that I and O are skipped to avoid confusion with 1 and 0.

Plates must be black on white front and black on yellow rear. Vehicles registered before 1 January 2010 can use the classic-style silver on black with the old OS 1451 font.

This is utterly pointless, there's nothing wrong with the current system. I remember I once discussed this with CC0 who said he would vote against it out of sheer irritation at its inanity :P...

EDIT: Not to mention, while the previous system allowed for 17k vehicles per state, and usually two to three times as many in states with high populations, this only allows for twenty-six thousand, less than populated states require. As well as this, it's harder to understand and interpret easily, and lasts only 26 years as opposed to the 100 of the current system...

I love the plate design, it looks great.

Sadly, I don't see the practicality of this. I think if you were to do this on say, the tack of vanity plates (no change to the numerical/alpha system, but allow different colors or designs for states) for states to offer, then I'd support that.

If the author of the bill desires it, I can either offer a amendment or a totally new bill for commentary.

Sure. Go for it.

Ok. I'll offer the bill here, and if it's decent, we'll move this to it's own topic:


I, the Right Honourable Kay "DynamoJax" Jackson, the MP for the Uplands of Enchiridion and the Twentieth Prime Minister of Ostentia (and add CJ Miller if he approves), do hereby introduce to the Ostentian House of Commons thereof:
[start text]
AN ACT to allow the States of the Federal Republic of Ostentia the creation of designer plates.

§1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be referred to as the Plate Decorum act of 2009.


§2. PROVISIONS.

Upon approval, this legislation shall achieve the following:

1: All States are permitted to create their own plate designs following that all the requirements below are met:

1a: The current approved licensing system is not altered.
1b: The plates are easily readable, and the paint colour of the text is in clear contrast with the colour(s) of the plate.
1c: Plates do not explicitly depict anything obscene or otherwise unacceptable. The plates are mindful of all cultures and are devoid of obscenities or other vulgar language or imagery.

2: Each state may choose to offer plates with state decorum, but must always offer the Ostentian plate standard as an option.

3:In addition, a state is NOT required to offer any such "designer" plates, and may only offer the Ostentian Standard. In addition, a state is NOT required to offer any such "designer" plates, and may choose to only offer the Ostentian Standard.

4: States may charge a small fee for the designer plate, on top of the regular fee for an standard Ostentian License Plate.

5: Any designer plate by any state shall be entered into the federal database and shall hold equal rights and privileges in all other states, thus having validity in all other states as well as its state of origin.


§3. ADDITIONAL COST.

The Federal Republic of Ostentia will not, under any circumstances, allot any funding under this bill. The decision of whom funds the decorum plates, either the state or by the consumer (via a nominal fee on top of the standard plate fee) is solely determined by the state in question. However, the Federal Government reserves the right to install a cap on such fees should they become unacceptably abusive.
[/end text]

Reasoning: This does not alter the system of current licensing, but instead offers each state a chance to create a plate that uniquely identifies them.

For example, Valaxia could offer a Blue background plate with a Green border with white Text saying "Valaxia" on top or bottom with the licensing information in center. This meets all the criteria (unless say, the blue was rather light). But, the state cannot just replace the "Ostentian Standard" plate design with their design alone. In addition, Valaxia's designer plates are just as valid as any other state plates, so one person can ship their car to the mainland, and drive the car with the Valaxia plate in say, Enchiridion and still be in possession of a legal plate. In essence, no one state's plate is any more or less legal than another's, or the Ostentian Standard.

Since designer plates do cost a little extra, the states can either bear the cost, or allow the consumer to elect to spend the additional fee or not. But if such fee becomes excessive (i.e., a fee going above and way beyond the amount needed to make up the difference), we can step in and cap it, but that's the only potential interference this bill will allow.

No qualms with that...

Dynamo Jax - change this:

to this:

And this:

So implicit depiction of obscenities is permitted?

Finally, as a petty point - spell colour correctly please.

changes will be made... ooc: I just got home (it's 1:20 AM in Texas), so it's going to be nighty night here in just a short period.

OOC: I love the Internationalism of this forum :P . DJ is six hours behind everyone else, LWB is nine hours ahead, coordination is hard. It also means LWB is 15 hours ahead of DJ, so actually, the two rarely if ever meet online :P...

Nah we meet online, if I'm on late and he's on when he wakes up or vice versa.

No, LWB is in Canberra, so he's 10 hours ahead of London.

Also, I'm 5 hours behind (4 in the third week of March and the first week of November because of the difference in the period of DST vs. BST).

Hm, I'm sure it was nine when I asked yesterday.

I remember last year I was in America for that week where it was only four hours :D. I changed my DS's clock to it. Never changed it back either. Then on the last day it took us till about ten to realise DST had ended, after we'd got up at seven. I can't remember if it was the correct seven though...

We are +10 atm, will be +11 after Sunday.

Bill updated... now nearly 5 AM... I NEED to go to bed now.

Ok, seeing the more positive reaction on the decorum bill, I will bring it to its own topic, and move for its passage.