Routemaster registrations
 

Bruce gurgled happily, sounding much like they
were saying:

The French plate, last time I checked, relates to where the owner
lives, and does not follow the vehicle. If the owner moves home to a
different Département, then new plates are necessary within a short
period of moving.

Indeed. But if the car stays within the same dept, the same plate stays
on it. Anyway, they've changed that completely as of this January, and
have moved to a single national registration scheme with cars wearing
the same plate "for life".

Is the plate still in the same format, though, with the Département
number still being shown? Or is it a completely new system?

No, it's changed completely. They can put the dept number on a blue band
to the right hand edge, mirroring the F nationality identifier, but it's
optional and doesn't signify anything much.

They look more like the current Italian or Spanish plates - AA123AA, with
nothing meaning anything more than the rough order the plates were
issued. All new cars are being issued them, of course, but also anything
that moves between dept on resale. Dunno about stuff that's sold within a
dept, since I presume they're centralising the records.

dons black armband for another little thing that made France France.

Routemaster registrations
 

On 10 Aug 2009 08:36:02 GMT, Adrian wrote:
Bruce gurgled happily, sounding much like they
were saying:
Is the plate still in the same format, though, with the Département
number still being shown? Or is it a completely new system?

No, it's changed completely. They can put the dept number on a blue band
to the right hand edge, mirroring the F nationality identifier, but it's
optional and doesn't signify anything much.

They look more like the current Italian or Spanish plates - AA123AA, with
nothing meaning anything more than the rough order the plates were
issued. All new cars are being issued them, of course, but also anything
that moves between dept on resale. Dunno about stuff that's sold within a
dept, since I presume they're centralising the records.

dons black armband for another little thing that made France France.


That's sad.

I can't imagine why they didn't just adapt the previous system.

Routemaster registrations
 

On Mon, 10 Aug 2009 10:24:18 +0100
Bruce wrote:


On 10 Aug 2009 08:36:02 GMT, Adrian wrote:
Bruce gurgled happily, sounding much like they
were saying:
Is the plate still in the same format, though, with the Département
number still being shown? Or is it a completely new system?

No, it's changed completely. They can put the dept number on a blue band
to the right hand edge, mirroring the F nationality identifier, but it's
optional and doesn't signify anything much.

They look more like the current Italian or Spanish plates - AA123AA, with
nothing meaning anything more than the rough order the plates were
issued. All new cars are being issued them, of course, but also anything
that moves between dept on resale. Dunno about stuff that's sold within a
dept, since I presume they're centralising the records.

dons black armband for another little thing that made France France.


That's sad.

I can't imagine why they didn't just adapt the previous system.

I haven't been following this thread so maybe this has been mentioned
already - but previously I believe the plates had to change if the owners
address changed and he had to register his car in a new department. Now the
plates stay with the car for life like they do here so I guess they feel
the dept. is irrelevant. Though I suppose they could have done as here in
having the very first registration location on the plate.

B2003

Routemaster registrations
 

On Mon, 10 Aug 2009 09:34:03 +0000 (UTC),
wrote:

On Mon, 10 Aug 2009 10:24:18 +0100
Bruce wrote:


On 10 Aug 2009 08:36:02 GMT, Adrian wrote:
Bruce gurgled happily, sounding much like they
were saying:
Is the plate still in the same format, though, with the Département
number still being shown? Or is it a completely new system?

No, it's changed completely. They can put the dept number on a blue band
to the right hand edge, mirroring the F nationality identifier, but it's
optional and doesn't signify anything much.

They look more like the current Italian or Spanish plates - AA123AA, with
nothing meaning anything more than the rough order the plates were
issued. All new cars are being issued them, of course, but also anything
that moves between dept on resale. Dunno about stuff that's sold within a
dept, since I presume they're centralising the records.

dons black armband for another little thing that made France France.


That's sad.

I can't imagine why they didn't just adapt the previous system.

I haven't been following this thread so maybe this has been mentioned
already - but previously I believe the plates had to change if the owners
address changed and he had to register his car in a new department. Now the
plates stay with the car for life like they do here so I guess they feel
the dept. is irrelevant. Though I suppose they could have done as here in
having the very first registration location on the plate.


I understand the reason for change. It's just that it could have been
made into a new system by modifying the old, rather than brushing
aside years of tradition and starting with something entirely new.

Routemaster registrations
 

On Mon, 10 Aug 2009 11:36:42 +0100
Bruce wrote:
I understand the reason for change. It's just that it could have been
made into a new system by modifying the old, rather than brushing
aside years of tradition and starting with something entirely new.

Perhaps the government decided it was worth it for the reduction in hassle for
the owners and less beaurocracy being required if the plate stays with the car
for its entire life. Besides, possibly some people may prefer the anonymity
anyway. Parisians arn't all that popular in some parts of france and perhaps
they'd like having plates that don't give way where they're from.

B2003

Routemaster registrations
 

On Mon, 10 Aug 2009 11:24:48 +0000 (UTC),
wrote:

On Mon, 10 Aug 2009 11:36:42 +0100
Bruce wrote:
I understand the reason for change. It's just that it could have been
made into a new system by modifying the old, rather than brushing
aside years of tradition and starting with something entirely new.

Perhaps the government decided it was worth it for the reduction in hassle for
the owners and less beaurocracy being required if the plate stays with the car
for its entire life.


There's absolutely no reason why the old style plate couldn't stay
with the car for its entire life.

Besides, possibly some people may prefer the anonymity
anyway. Parisians arn't all that popular in some parts of france and perhaps
they'd like having plates that don't give way where they're from.


That's true. You would need a more detailed knowledge of the British
registration system to detect cars that are registered in London.

Londoners are every bit as unpopular in the rest of the United Kingdon
as Parisiens are in the rest of France. Fortunately, numberplates are
not needed; a Londoner only has to open his/her mouth to be instantly
identifiable, and instantly disliked. ;-)

My best friend hails from Paris, and he lives in England because he
feels as though he is better liked here than he would be anywhere in
France other than Paris. And he cannot afford to live where he grew
up in Paris. :-(

Routemaster registrations
 

Bruce gurgled happily, sounding much like they
were saying:

Perhaps the government decided it was worth it for the reduction in
hassle for the owners and less beaurocracy being required if the plate
stays with the car for its entire life.

There's absolutely no reason why the old style plate couldn't stay with
the car for its entire life.

Providing that car stayed registered within the same dept.

Besides, possibly some people may prefer the anonymity anyway. Parisians
arn't all that popular in some parts of france and perhaps they'd like
having plates that don't give way where they're from.

That's true. You would need a more detailed knowledge of the British
registration system to detect cars that are registered in London.

The big difference, of course, is that a car with an Lx-for-London plate
needn't ever have been registered to a London address, just that it was
initially registered through the DVLA's London office. A French car with
a 75 (or 92/93/94/95 if we count the surrounding areas to Ile de France)
plate is currently registered to an address in those departments.

Routemaster registrations
 

On 10 Aug 2009 11:58:55 GMT, Adrian wrote:
Bruce gurgled happily, sounding much like they
were saying:

Perhaps the government decided it was worth it for the reduction in
hassle for the owners and less beaurocracy being required if the plate
stays with the car for its entire life.

There's absolutely no reason why the old style plate couldn't stay with
the car for its entire life.

Providing that car stayed registered within the same dept.


No, it would work exactly like our own system, where the car is
registered in the "Département" it is purchased in, and retains that
numberplate for its whole life. I'm sorry if you can't understand
this, because it is about as clear as I can make it.

Routemaster registrations
 

Bruce gurgled happily, sounding much like they
were saying:

Perhaps the government decided it was worth it for the reduction in
hassle for the owners and less beaurocracy being required if the plate
stays with the car for its entire life.

There's absolutely no reason why the old style plate couldn't stay
with the car for its entire life.

Providing that car stayed registered within the same dept.

No, it would work exactly like our own system, where the car is
registered in the "Département" it is purchased in, and retains that
numberplate for its whole life. I'm sorry if you can't understand this,
because it is about as clear as I can make it.

Sorry, I mis-read and thought you were describing as it currently works.
In that case, I agree - but it'd be as basically irrelevant as the
geographical identifier is on UK plates.

Routemaster registrations
 

On 10 Aug 2009 12:16:09 GMT
Adrian wrote:
Sorry, I mis-read and thought you were describing as it currently works.
In that case, I agree - but it'd be as basically irrelevant as the
geographical identifier is on UK plates.

It does work to some extent however. The majority of cars on the new style
reg in london are 'L' plated and you hardly ever see cars on, for example,
welsh or scottish plates. Though oddly there do seem to be a number of buses
with scots registrations.

B2003