Number plates to keep department
Ministerial u-turn removes central plank of policy to simplify car registration after pressure.
NEW NUMBER plates will keep not only the number of a person's department but will include a logo after a government u-turn.
The Interior Ministry, which introduced a new number plate scheme to simplify car registration and cut down on crime, has caved to pressure from MPs and Senators of the Jamais sans mon département association.
The group, which fought for plates to keep their departmental number (a cause which is popular across France) has gradually grown in size to 221 politicians; 47 senators, 173 MPs and one MEP.
Interior Minister Michèle Alliot-Marie announced that the government would "take into account" people's attachment to their departments.
She overturned a previous policy which allowed people to opt-out of choosing a department for their car.
The idea was initially introduced to end the necessity of re-registering a car if a person changed their home department. It was also to reduce crime targetted at vechicles outside of their department.
She said a department number and logo would be mandatory on new plates but car owners would be able to choose their area.
While the standard two letters, three figures, two letters format will be kept for the lifetime of the car, a person can chose which department they want to display, regardless of where the car was registered.
Car owners cannot mix and match numbers and logos and must choose a department.
Photo: Plates without department numbers will no longer be allowed.
Credit Afp/Pierre Verdy
