Transport officials park up offensive number plates

PERSONAL TASTE: Some drivers still have the NZTA's number with personalised plates ranging from KILLAH to BIT5H to 1 BAD ARS for sale on Trade Me late last week.

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Threatening the police, insulting ACC and advertising drugs are out. But labelling yourself a killer, railing against the IRD and calling yourself "one badass" are still OK on the roads.

Personalised number plates pulled off cars for being too offensive include DRGDLR, QUICKE and RNUDWN, according to Transport Agency records provided under the Official Information Act.

One aggravating plate, H8PIGS, was even displayed on a former police car for a few months by a Christchurch man who had bought it.

But other drivers still have the NZTA's number – with plates ranging from KILLAH to BIT5H to 1 BAD ARS for sale on Trade Me late last week.

Potentially offensive plates have become more of an issue since 2001. when number plates began including three letters.

Since then, the NZTA has banned at least 25 three-letter combinations, including plates beginning with ARS, BUM, CUN, DUM, FAK, FAT and FUZ.

These were chosen "because they are considered as either likely offensive or undesirable by a large number of vehicle owners", said NZTA transport registry centre manager Brett Dooley.

People wanting personalised plates had to apply to a company called Personalised Plates, which decided whether to grant the applications.

But the NZTA and PPL had agreed criteria to avoid offensive plates – including whether they were abusive, obscene, or promoted violence or discrimination. Plates could be pulled off the roads if people complained about them, Mr Dooley said.

One plate listed as having been issued and recalled was Tampon, which belonged to Nelson man Brendon Cottle.

But Mr Cottle, 41, said he had chosen to hand in the plates, which he had displayed on his bright red convertible in the mid-1990s, after getting too much reaction to them.

"I thought it showed a good sense of humour. I thought it was a blimmin' great joke, but I got banned from parking at work. People still give me a hard time about it sometimes."

BIG SELLERS

Hundreds of plates are for sale on numberplates.co.nz and plates.co.nz, including V8KIWI for $1 million, FRODO for $15,000, KEVIN for $20,000 and ROCKER for $15,000. Plates with numbers are sought after. For example, 333 is advertised as "cheap at $100k".

The single number "1" is especially prized, reportedly selling for nearly $700,000 last time it was for sale.

It's difficult to make money out of selling plates now, but some people were successful when they were introduced in 1988. Property developer David Blackmore reportedly bought 1000 at the time for $275 each, before selling most of them.

- © Fairfax NZ News