Is it that easy to get fake licence plates?

[Blackseal]

WHEN Mr Bobby Lim was assigned his system-generated licence plate for his white Toyota Alphard, he thought it was his lucky day.

 

To him, the plate number 1682 was considered lucky because the first three digits sound like 'prosper all the way' in Mandarin and Cantonese.

 

Ironically, Mr Lim, 44, who runs a limousine service, ended up more than $300 poorer.

 

Someone was caught using a fake plate with his licence number on a stolen car, and he now has to spend that sum to get a new licence number.

 

His case is not unique.

 

Last month, The New Paper reported how a car valet allegedly made fake licence plates for his car because he could not keep up with his car loan payments.

 

As a result, the real owner, whose car was of a similar make and model, received summonses for parking offences he didn't commit.

 

Checks with the Land Transport Authority (LTA) showed that six summonses were issued for illegal car plate duplication last year.

 

There were 11 such summonses in 2008 and four in 2007.

 

In Mr Lim's case, he discovered his car plate number had been duplicated when the police contacted him recently.

 

He was told that it had been spotted on a stolen vehicle.

 

When he arrived at the Jurong Police Division to help with the investigations, he saw that the culprit had put his plate numbers on a car that was of the same model and colour as his.

 

When contacted by The New Paper on Sunday, Deputy Superintendent of Police Stanley Norbert confirmed that a 40-year-old man was charged in court in January for being in possession of a stolen vehicle.

 

Mr Lim decided to change his licence plate number as he's worried that the stolen vehicle had been used for illegal activities.

 

Mr Lim said: "Who knows what the culprit had done using that stolen vehicle?"

 

Typically, when owners want to replace their existing vehicle registration numbers, they may do so by bidding for a new number.

 

The minimum bid is $1,000, and they also have to pay a fee and GST which come up to $321.

 

In Mr Lim's case, LTA made an exception by allocating a new system-generated number to his vehicle.

 

But he still needs to pay $321 to replace his existing number.

 

Proof

 

So how easy is it to get a set of plates without providing proof that the number is registered to you?

 

When The New Paper on Sunday approached 10 different car workshops asking to replace both the front and rear licence plates because of an 'accident', only three asked for documents to prove ownership.

 

The rest said there was no need for any identification documents.

 

"Just drive your car over and we will replace the plates for you," said one workshop mechanic.

 

Most of the garages were able to complete the job within a day.

 

Many were more interested to find out which design we wanted for the new plates - which cost about $50.

 

When we identified ourselves and asked why there was no need to present identification documents when making a duplicate plate, the common answer was that they weren't told to do so.

 

Mr Xu, who runs a car workshop at Tampines, said: "I've never thought of such an issue. Illegal car plate duplication doesn't usually happen in Singapore."

 

Another workshop boss, who gave his name as Mr Tan, said: "We run a legal business. We are just responsible for changing your car parts."

 

But there were some, like Ms Neo Siew Kuan, 40, who runs an automobile workshop in Admiralty Street, who asked for documents.

 

She said: "I had asked for your log card because it sounded suspicious when you said both your front and back licence plates were missing.

 

"I'm more careful because I have heard of cases of illegal car plate duplication."

 

Lawyers said that the law does not require workshops to ask for documentation in making car licence plates.

 

One of them, Mr Tan Cheng Kiong, 46, said: "You can just go to any shop to get it done. You can even bring it home and fix it on the car yourself.

 

"There's no responsibility for the car plate maker to make sure the plate is fixed on the right car. The onus is on the car owner to display the correct number."

 

LTA said those who are charged and found guilty of illegally duplicating car plates can be fined up to $5,000 or jailed up to three months for the first offence.

 

Repeat offenders can be fined up to $10,000 or jailed up to six months.

 

 

 

[Celicagt42010]

I don't know about workshops. But I did go and make number plates from those shops in Sunshine plaza for my dad's van. Just tell them the number thats all. They didn't even ask for anything.

[So_nice]

why would they bother? its not a controlled item. unless they use the screw like opc.