R plates still on the books,
legal issues not sorted out
PHILIPSBURG--The decision not to use “R” number plates for rental vehicles for 2008 has been rescinded and some 2,500 of them have been ordered.
Island Receiver Sherry Hazel said the decision to keep the R plates had been made because the legal issues that had to be put in place to facilitate dropping them had not been ironed out.
It was initially announced that the R plates would not be ordered for next year and P plates would be used to cover rental vehicles instead.
Some 24,419 light blue plates bearing a picture of the Courthouse and an outline of the St. Maarten map have been ordered: 9,999 M plates; 7,000 P plates; 215 Bus plates; 290 Taxi plates; 60 for tour buses; 60 G plates; 2,950 V plates; 325 Z plates; 110 E plates; 60 L plates and 850 plates for motorbikes.
Motorists will be paying less for their number plates next year. The price for the regular plates has been reduced by NAf. 7.50 (from NAf. 25 to NAf. 17.50) while the price for motorbike plates will go down from NAf. 15 to NAf. 10. The road tax will remain at 275 guilders for regular vehicles.
This is in addition to the 2006 reduction in the cost of the plates from NAf. 42.50 to NAf. 25.
Office ware supplier Firgos Paper won the bid to supply the plates. Firgos’ bid was 246,345 guilders – 70,000 guilders less than the next lowest bid. The other bids tendered were by Watkan Trading (NAf. 313,473.35), SMJ Promotional Products (NAf. 330,530.50), Crown Contracting (NAf. 386,651.72), Sun Colour Paint (NAf. 493,501,36) and Creative Promotional Ideas (US $205,177).
Hazel had said in an earlier interview that the Island Government was paying less for the 2008 plates, and had decided to pass on these savings to the consumer. The Island Government paid NAf. 305,000 to produce the 2007 plates.
The process to acquire the number plates, Hazel said, was a “bit late” this year and, while she would have liked to have the plates on the island by the end of this year, this is not likely to happen. She is hoping that they will be on the island by early 2008. The Receiver’s Office will look into the possibility of having the plates flown in, if this becomes necessary.
