A week ago my wife noticed two vehicles with the same new number plates. She asked me how this is possible. I took a look for myself and sure enough, there was a white delivery truck and a gold station wagon with identical number plates 4285 AAA. I decided to email Mrs. Shaw with the information, but unfortunately we were unable to get a picture.
A week later the delivery truck got its own number plate. Of course we have no way of knowing how long the plates were on from before.
Now on the surface this doesn't sound like a big deal, but the vehicles were parked outside your home, the very man who is over the number plates, Councilor Arnell DANIEL. The same man who is on the radio and TV warning people to get themselves in order, and yet those laws that will be strictly enforced.
Today, I heard you on SOS Radio explaining all the rules and regulations once again to the listeners, so I could not resist the chance to ask you some questions of my own.
"Esteemed Councillor, could you tell me how many vehicles you can put on the road with one set of number plates? Your immediate answer was ONLY ONE. When you come to sell the car you take the plate off the old car and put it on the new one. So only one at a time? "Yes Sir", you replied.
So I asked why you have 2 vehicles with brand new 4285 AAA number plates on your vehicles parked outside your house? Oh, you replied THAT WAS A MISTAKE. Billy sounded surprised by your admission, asked if that was in fact your number and you said yes. You then explained to Billy your nephew just noticed it the other day and now its changed. Billy had a little laugh on air and said I am watching you. Of course your were not expecting my question. When I tried to ask further, I was cut off. Of course I had got you to prequalify the rules so there could be no confusion. So the listeners heard your admission after you talked for so long about rules and regulations for us to follow.
I was going to ask how can you expect the public to believe that a councilor who is over the number plate issue did not check the plates or the paperwork? But did not get the chance. Are we further to expected believe that the person who fixed the plates to the vehicles did not think to look at the numbers? How does one go about getting a second set of identical plates made Mr. Councilor?
I found it interesting how you recognized the number plate I quoted on air, but failed to notice this apparent bureaucratic error of your office. Maybe you so busy carrying out public service announcements that you have no time to look at something as important as vehicle registration, the very area you are responsible for. I could accept an honest mistake being made by your office if the registration was for a member of the general public, but you as a Councilor are supposed to know better, and abide by the same laws that you know so well.
Imagine if either vehicle had been involved in an accident and the plate was found to be from a different vehicle. Would we not be arrested for investigation? Would the insurance policy have been valid seeing the same plate was for a different vehicle?
Another thought: I understand only 5 businesses are authorized to produce plates. Surely there is some system to prevent duplicate plates being made or allowed to be made. Surely these number sequences are controlled seeing they are what authorities use primarily to visually identify vehicles. Maybe this oversight only occurred in your case, or maybe the entire plate issue system is flawed. I leave the reader to draw their own conclusions. All I can do is present what we saw. Personally, I do not accept your answer, but as an individual I have a right to an opinion of a public figure.
Unfortunately we have no choice but to take you at your word, because the opportunity to get a picture of the two vehicles parked next to each other is no more. If only my camera was working at the time.
Our elected and party-appointed Councilors should be accountable to us and there should be only one set of laws just as there should be only one set of number plates, and no one should have authority to produce a second set, even if it's for a councilor.
Yours Truly,
Michael Sharp
