TD announced PVRM details

    The Transport Department today (February 16) announced details on the implementation of the Personalised Vehicle Registration Marks (PVRMs) Scheme, which would provide more choices of vehicle registration marks to vehicle owners. TD will start accepting PVRM applications from April 1, 2006.

     Speaking at a press conference today, Assistant Commissioner for Transport Mr Stephen Ip said that under the PVRMs Scheme, a vehicle owner could choose his preferred vehicle registration mark, apply to the department and use it upon approval following a bidding exercise.

     The main features of the scheme are as follows:

(a) PVRMs combinations may have up to a maximum of 8 letters of the alphabet (except "I", "O" and "Q" which are not allowed), numerals and/or blank spaces; a blank space will be counted as one of the permitted characters; more than one blank space is allowed in a PVRM, but there shall be no more than one blank space between any two letters or numerals, or between a letter and a numeral in the PVRM;

(b) there shall be no more than four identical letters or numerals placed together side by side in a PVRM;

(c) a PVRM may be displayed in a single row or in two rows, and the display must be in accordance with the approved format(s). If it is displayed in two rows, the maximum number of letters, numerals and/or blank spaces in each row is four; and

(d) PVRM combinations must not duplicate existing vehicle registration marks or be of a similar pattern to existing forms of vehicle registration marks or permit/licence numbers and they must not duplicate the registration marks reserved for certain vehicles.

     An application for PVRM will go through the following business process before it can be assigned:

- submission of application;
- selection of applications by lot;
- checking of applications selected against the basic combination requirements;
- payment of deposit of $5,000 by selected applicants whose applications can meet the basic combination requirements;
- vetting of the applications;
- announcement of approved applications; and
- auction of approved PVRMs.

     "Our plan is to invite the first batch of applications on March 31 by notice published in the Gazette and advertisements in newspapers. Starting from the same day, application forms (TD569) and guidance notes which contain more application details will be available at the Licensing Offices and can be downloaded from TD website (http://www.td.gov.hk). Completed application forms must be submitted during the period from April 1, 2006, to April 30, 2006. One thousand applications will be considered in the first exercise," Mr Ip said.

Ends/Thursday, February 16, 2006
Issued at HKT 12:39