IT PAYS U 2

The personalised number plates recently launched by the Malta Transport Authority have raised the eyebrows of local councils who believe wardens will not be able to book drivers of cars bearing such plates.

Transport Minister Censu Galea announced that the authority would soon be launching totally personalised number plates to generate cash.

The plates would take up to eight letters and/or numbers and could be used on all vehicles except public transport.

But the Association of Local Councils believes the wardens' enforcement software system will not be able to book offenders whose car has a fully personalised plate, unless the software of the system is changed.

Ian Micallef, the association's president, said that changing the software of the entire system, including the palm top computers carried by the wardens, would be expensive and would take time: "We don't believe the local councils should carry the financial burden of changing our software for the luxury of some individuals who opt to have an eight-digit personalised plate.

"These new plates are not a utility, by no stretch of the imagination. When the tender for a computerised system was issued by government, the councils as well as Datatrak Ltd were given the assurance that the system would never change and that we would have to cater for number plates made up of three letters and three digits."

But the chief executive officer of the transport authority, Mario Falzon, categorically denied what is being stated by the local councils.

"The truth is that the wardens' system is built on the authority's database and the new personalised plates will not have an impact on the system. We do not believe they will have to change their system to cater for the new personalised plates."

Dr Micallef said Datatrak was drawing up a technical report that was expected to shed light on the problems they were encountering with the new system.

"The report will highlight the deficiencies of introducing the new personalised plates."

Owning a totally personalised plate may seem expensive as the minimum bid for each plate would be Lm500. But, obviously, the scenario will change completely if the plate means the individual cannot be fined!