A brand new parliamentary report has raised severe considerations concerning the rising use of so-called “ghost” and stealth quantity plates on UK roads, warning that weaknesses within the present system are permitting harmful and felony behaviour to go undetected.
The report, launched by the All-Get together Parliamentary Group for Transport Security following a cross-party inquiry, concludes that the UK’s registration plate system is outdated, poorly regulated and more and more exploited. Whereas the UK operates one of the crucial superior Automated Quantity Plate Recognition techniques on the planet, capturing round 90 million reads a day, its effectiveness is being undermined by widespread non-compliance.
Proof offered to the inquiry suggests as many as one in fifteen autos could also be displaying modified or unlawful plates designed to evade enforcement. These plates are ceaselessly offered on-line by unregulated suppliers and are used to keep away from congestion fees, tolls and fines.
Nevertheless, the report stresses that the implications go far past site visitors offences. ANPR-evasive plates have been linked to organised crime, together with drug provide, rogue buying and selling, folks smuggling and human trafficking. Nationwide Buying and selling Requirements warned the inquiry that ghost plates pose a severe counter-terrorism threat, permitting autos to bypass surveillance round important infrastructure equivalent to airports and authorities buildings.
The inquiry additionally uncovered main weaknesses within the regulation of plate manufacturing. Greater than 34,000 suppliers are at present registered with the DVLA, many working from non-public properties, with no background checks in place. In some instances, suppliers dealing with identification paperwork have been discovered to have convictions for severe felony offences.
Harmless motorists are additionally being caught up within the difficulty by way of quantity plate cloning, resulting in fines, debt restoration motion and police investigations for offences they didn’t commit. The non-public {and professional} penalties for drivers could be extreme.
The report highlights specific considerations round passenger security, citing proof that plate tampering is widespread amongst some taxi drivers looking for to keep away from highway fees. In London, enforcement exercise by Transport for London utilizing specialist cameras discovered over 40 per cent of licensed taxis checked had non-compliant plates, a determine that solely marginally decreased following focused enforcement.
Name for pressing reform
The report describes the present system as a “gaping gap” within the UK’s policing and safety infrastructure and requires complete reform masking manufacturing, provide, use and enforcement.
Key suggestions embrace:
- Standardising quantity plate design and introducing enhanced safety features, together with banning 3D and 4D plates
- Considerably lowering and tightly regulating licensed suppliers by way of audits and annual charges
- Rising penalties, introducing licence factors and seizing autos used repeatedly with unlawful plates
Commenting on the findings, RAC head of coverage Simon Williams mentioned pressing motion was wanted to make sure no automobile may stay invisible to enforcement or untraceable by police. The Motor Insurers’ Bureau echoed requires a partnership method to implement the suggestions and shield highway customers.
