A pilot project to allow automobile owners to decide their own licence plate numbers will be launched in Beijing, Tianjin, Hangzhou and Shenzhen as of August 12, said Meng Hongwei, assistant minister of public security (MPS), yesterday.

"The reform will meet auto buyers' personal demands on choosing favourite numbers," Meng said at a press conference.

"It will help public security bureaux strengthen traffic administration of motor vehicles as well."

Just like many foreigners in the West who would avoid the number 13, many Chinese believe numbers like "6" or "8" are auspicious.

In many places, people pay to pursue the lucky numbers, even by illegal means, which have caused great chaos to local traffic administration departments, said Meng.

With the rapid economic development and increase in incomes, buying a car is no longer a dream for many families in China. The number of automobiles is increasing at 15 per cent annually.

The number of private vehicles in 2001 reached 7.7 million, accounting for 42.7 per cent of the 18 million in the country. In some economically advanced areas, the figure has surpassed 50 per cent, according to MPS statistics.

Under the current practice, auto owners had no choice but to get a number designated by the traffic administration bureaux in advance, though many of them would prefer selecting a number by themselves, noted Meng.

Furthermore, the number of motor vehicles, especially in many small and medium-sized cities, has reached the limits of the current number-plate system, he said.

Meanwhile, the new system, the so-called 2002-type number plate system, will increase the limit of numbers from 340,000 to 36 million, providing a larger selection room for vehicle owners, said Chen Jie, head of the MPS Traffic Administration Bureau.

From August 12 to December 31, people who buy new motor vehicles in these four cities can apply for a number plate composed of three English letters and three Arabic numbers or six Arabic numbers in two groups, Chen said.

More importantly, the new system has also adopted advanced anti-counterfeit technologies, Chen said.

For example, the traffic administration bureaux will utilize special materials to build the new number plate as well as print bar codes and vehicle identification numbers on it, he added.

Chen also added that in order to avoid unnecessary chaos, the new system would bar number plates with triple letters or triple Arabic numbers during the pilot project period.

After the first round of the pilot project in the four cities, MPS will conduct more experiments in more cities in the following year before fully adopting the system nationwide, he added.

(China Daily August 6, 2002)