Retention of old license number

[Sturtles]

You must apply to retain the vehicle registration number before:

 

* The vehicle is de-registered;

* The COE of the vehicle expires; and

* The vehicle reaches its statutory age requirement.

 

The retained vehicle registration number is non-transferable and can only be used to:

 

* register a new vehicle in your name; or

* replace the vehicle number of an existing vehicle registered in your name.

 

Fee of

 

* $100 to use the retained number on your new vehicle;

* $1,300 to use the retained number to replace the number on your existing vehicle;

* $2,600 to effect a mutual exchange of numbers between your 2 vehicles.

 

 

The retained vehicle registration number is valid for 12 months from the date of de-registration of your old vehicle. Up to two extensions of 6 months each will be allowed. An extension fee of $1,000 and an administrative fee of $20 (before GST) will be payable for each extension. Please submit in writing your request for extension of the validity period at least 7 days before the expiry date.

 

If the retained vehicle registration number is not used within its validity period, it will lapse; i.e., you will no longer be able to use the retained registration number.

 

A retained registration number cannot be cancelled.

No refund will be given for any payment accepted by the Registrar of Vehicles.

 

Source:

 

http://www.onemotoring.com.sg/publish/onem...ain_number.html

 

 

While I am glad LTA only levies an application fee of 100 dollars on retaining an old license number on a new car, I do not understand the rational of charging a princely sum of 1,300 dollars for transferring a memorable number to another car owned by the same person. The car with the original license number is usually sold or scrapped.

 

Furthermore, the car whose number was transferred from must apply for a new number plate, costing at least 321 dollars. So in total, the cost for keeping the number is at least 1,621 dollars.

 

Of course, there is the swapping of license numbers. It costs a whopping 2,600 dollars just to swap the licenses between the cars you own.

 

What happens when you decide to stop driving regularly, and start to enjoy our efficient public transport, but still like to retain your keepsake number to remember your very first vehicle, or your "pat tor" mobile that nabbed you your then girlfriend, now wife?

 

A logical solution is to keep the number within the family, either by passing the number to your kids, or your wife. The price of this transfer would be a shocking 1,621 dollars, plus a significant transfer fee of the original car to the name of your relation in question of at least a few hundreds, to thousands of dollars, depending on the Open Market Value(OMV). In addition, the original vehicle log card would have its ownership count increased by 1, critically affecting its resale value.

 

In an age where Singaporeans struggle to find their roots, where our schools no longer stand on where it was, replaced by a cold, new building, possibly with another name, or the familiar name now hangs on another campus totally foreign to us, our associative vehicle license number is a good way to reminisence the old times.

 

I understand there are complications involved in eradicating the costs of number retention. Firstly, jokers around will swap their plates as and when they like, creating confusion amongst some. Secondly, people may profit out of reselling old numbers on an larger scale. Thirdly, having a large quantity of retained numbers could mean the new numbers advance more slowly, and bidders for their favourite number have to wait longer for them.

 

However, these are simple problems which could be hemmed in by setting certain criterias, and timeframes for number swaps to take effect, but allowing appeals on case by case basis if the conditions are not met. Moreover, with a 100 dollar charge to retain number from an old vehicle to the new one currently, it is unlikely the rate of new numbers generated is impeded. Furthermore, once the number swapping novelty wears off and becomes a norm, it is unlikely the abuses will continue.

 

What do you think?

[Robo]

gahmen wanna earn $$$????

[Vroomtattat]

Bro, they don't earn. Vampires and suckers are on the loose

[Robo]

nice way to put it... suck it all away from us!

[Kungming]

Bro, why not write to Raymond Lim directly and see what he says? U post here nobody knows lah

[Robo]

hmmm... for me i cant be bothered to retain old number...unless its very very nice.. so far my numbers all normal nia.

 

me just replying to TS>..

[Huggable]

I believe it's more for "crime prevention". If it's cheap to transfer numbers between old cars, I can keep transferring my car numbers whenever I've committed an offence, and it makes tracking more difficult.

[Wreath]

Maybe can install RFID chip on each plate? Hmmm...

 

Maybe can just wack the number plate off the car and tell police some vandals did it. In that way @ least you get to hang the number plate on your wall. lol

[Chrispie]

Maybe you can write in and see what kinda PR crap they can churn out for our amusement.

[Sturtles]

I believe it's more for "crime prevention". If it's cheap to transfer numbers between old cars, I can keep transferring my car numbers whenever I've committed an offence, and it makes tracking more difficult.

 

Well, to people who are rich enough, 2.6 k to swap plates are chicken feed. They can do it everyday and play musical chairs if they like.

 

The solution is to implement time delays between every swap, and to limit the number of swaps in a given time. once exceeded, only a successful appeal can they then swap plates.

Edited November 27, 2008 by Sturtles

[Sturtles]

Well, its just me, but i believe there are nick names that hold dear to you, and you wouldn't want to change nick names every few years. Sometimes, when people are asked to shift cars for example, they are called by the car number.

 

So it does have some significance afterall. Some sort like a class number in school, its a shame to have it changed every year, but that is a definite necessity. JCs do it rather well, by naming the class after the year they are admitted, eg. S01-05, so the class name follows the class throughout the school life, giving a chance for stronger bonding between classmates and the school. It is also unique.

[Nlatio]

In summary...... got pay $$$$ everything also can.... no pay $$$$ everything also cannot and also it's illegal.....

[Ody_2004]

In my opinion, the current regulation of LTA on number retention is already very good. Few years back there's NO chance to put an old plate on a old car. You can only retain the old plate always on a NEW car. I had done it few times and lost alot of money. Much much more than the $1300 or even the $2600.

 

At least for now I got better option to retain and transfer plate without losing more money. It is flexibile but of cos it still come with a price.

 

Anyway playing with number plate is never meant to be cheap. Alot of countries do have extra charges for retention.

[S4vtec]

that's why we see an influx of old plates on the roads now ... the SD* series .... i'm one of them :)

[Ody_2004]

Yup! now more choices. As long as u think price is ok go ahead n have yr plate!

 

I keeping 3 plates with me. E series

[Sturtles]

I would think that we do not have to be thankful for LTA not screwing us as badly. This ruling is similar to the PARF rebate "about-turn" earlier on. How sick are we to thank LTA for reducing ERP on holidays, when they raise the fees when the next school term starts?

 

PARF rebates in the past only allows owners to get the return as a paper to buy another new car, perpetuation the car population problems. Flawed as it is, it had been in place probably even before I was born.

 

These small luxuries and considerations for the citizens' feelings are worth more than the few millions it could bring each year.

 

Having a rooted citizen has a multiplying effect on their family, so if the prime minister does see this appeal, I'm quite sure he would think the same.

 

End of the day, what is there left for a Singaporean to look forward to when he is old? His rented pigeon hole, or his CPF cashout for migration? In that case, New Zealand is a lovely place.

Edited November 27, 2008 by Sturtles

[Robo]

Well, its just me, but i believe there are nick names that hold dear to you, and you wouldn't want to change nick names every few years. Sometimes, when people are asked to shift cars for example, they are called by the car number.

 

So it does have some significance afterall. Some sort like a class number in school, its a shame to have it changed every year, but that is a definite necessity. JCs do it rather well, by naming the class after the year they are admitted, eg. S01-05, so the class name follows the class throughout the school life, giving a chance for stronger bonding between classmates and the school. It is also unique.

 

yupz i agree... very true... but unless its really swee number i wont pay $ to retain it. i guess thats the general trend nowadays.

[Ody_2004]

Well.. no system/regulations pls all.

 

I just thankful to LTA for their revised number retention ruling. I don wanna lump all issues into this.. no end..