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Beijing restarts personal license plates

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-10-06 22:48

Car owners wait to pick license plate numbers at the car registration center of the Beijing Traffic Management Bureau in Beijing, October 6, 2008. [Xinhua]

Retired Chinese soccer team striker Gao Hongbo was also among the early birds, picking his desired licence plate reading "N168B0."

The registration headquarters alone issued nearly 400 plates in two hours. Several thousand will be issued across the city on Monday.

Beijing introduced the "pick-your-own" license plates for the first time in 2002. The system lasted for only 10 days. About 23,000 plates were issued before it was suspended amid complaints over picks that were rude and crude, including "USA 911" and "TMD" -- representing the first letters in a common Chinese swear word.

The Beijing Traffic Management Bureau says such picks won't be possible under the new system, which limits car owners freedom to only four digits and one English letter.

The first two slots in the seven-digit plates are set with the Chinese character for Beijing, followed by "N" for automobiles in the eight urban districts, or "Y" for those registered in the outer districts and counties.

Beijing's automobile fleet has exceeded 3.4 million, with more than 1,000 new cars hitting the road daily.

 

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