[rustynutz]

Herald Sun July 03, 2013

CAR registration stickers will be scrapped in a move estimated to save Victorian taxpayers almost $20 million a year. 
 
Premier Denis Napthine and Roads Minister Terry Mulder said it will be introduced for cars and light vehicles from January 1 next year.

Industry groups, who have argued the stickers are outdated and lobbied for them to be scrapped, welcomed the decision.

Dr Napthine said "pesky" registration labels would be a thing of the past.

"This reform will bring Victoria into line with most other states which have either abolished registration labels or are planning to," Dr Napthine said.

"When you operate a business with dozens or even hundreds of vehicles there is a significant cost involved in time and effort to change over registration labels ever year.''

VicRoads issued about 5.4 million registration labels in 2011-12, which cost about $600,000 to print.
 
Millions of dollars are also spent in administration costs and labour.

Mr Mulder said: "There is no need for anyone to fear that they will be caught driving an unregistered vehicle because the same reminders will be sent to them.

"They just won't need to stick a label on their windscreen."

Tourism and Transport Forum deputy CEO Trent Zimmerman said the decision was good news for motorists and the rental car industry, which has about 140,000 vehicles nationally.

"Victoria is the second last state still using rego stickers and while it is of some annoyance for your average motorist, for rental car companies owning tens of thousands of vehicles it actually becomes a major piece of red tape,'' Mr Zimmerman said.

"This measure will save rental car companies tens of thousands of dollars because it means that each year they won't have to be scrapping off and putting on stickers on their large car fleets.''

Western Australia and South Australia were the first states to axe car registration stickers followed by Tasmania and NSW. Queensland is still investigating the issue.

The Herald Sun revealed last year the TTF and RACV were urging the State Government to scrap the stickers.

The Government said at the time it had no plans to axe the labels.

Registration costs will not change.

[Doggie 1]

As stated, we haven't had them for a while.

[eye30]

"This measure will save rental car companies tens of thousands of dollars

So will this bring rental costs down?
Answers on a postage stamp please!

Also, will it reduce buying price of new/used cars?

[Doggie 1]

It will (has) also increase the number of unregistered cars on the road as more people forget to renew.

It will (has) also increase the number of unregistered cars on the road as more people forget to renew.

I can't agree with this being a cause of an increase in unregistered cars on the road.  If reminder notices are sent out at the same time as they were when stickers were issued (which is the case in SA), then like any account to be paid, the owner pays in the normal way, either in person, by post or online.  The only difference is that no sticker is sent out.  In SA, the receipt is posted to the owner after payment, just no sticker.

I chose not to pay a trailer registration under new scheme, and a month after not paying, I received a second reminder. 

If an owner ignores these notices to pay, that is their choice.  I can't see why one can deduce that the move to have no sticker can be connected to an increase of unregistered vehicles on the road.  Under the old scheme, anyone who chooses not to register a vehicle, is hardly going to be embarrassed by having the wrong colour sticker and therefore front up to pay the rego.

[Phil №❶]

It will (has) also increase the number of unregistered cars on the road as more people forget to renew.

Our renewals are in our phone calendars, not falling for that trick. 

[Doggie 1]

In W.A. (and I suspect in other states too) it is not a requirement for the authorities to send reminder notices to remind people they need to renew their vehicle licences.
They do it as a courtesy but there is no legal requirement to do so.
Anyone who moves house and doesn't notify the authorities immediately will not receive the notice.
Anyone who buys a car will not receive a notice either until the records catch up with the change of ownership.
But even for those who do receive the reminder notices, having a visible reminder on the windscreen keeps it at the forefront of their minds.
Personally, I don't have an issue with not have C/R stickers on the windscreen any more because as you rightly point out, if you do receive an account then you pay it.
But if for some reason it doesn't get delivered then it is easy to forget.
And there is no doubt that the number of unlicensed vehicles on our roads increased following the abolition of C/R stickers in Western Australia.
This of course, has flow-on effects such as no compulsory third party insurance cover for those involved in a crash whilst driving an unregistered vehicle.

[Ugly Mongrel]

As the first Queenslander (we still have registration labels here) to reply to this post , I have to say it's a great idea.

The only people interested in whether your registration label is current would be Constable Plod and his mates.

 Every vehicle already carries a registration plate front and back, so if Constable Plod wants to get you for driving an unregistered vehicle, all he has to do is use the on board computer to check your rego plate.

Great move which will save heaps of tax payer dollars so the government can spend more on other things...like more speed cameras.

[Phil №❶]

My concern is the increase of unregistered vehicles that are being pinged by on board computers, this is all about revenue raising by irresponsible governments because the REAL problem is the automatic lack of third party insurance cover as previously mentioned by Dave. This is very serious and I pray that none of us here, are involved in an event that could cost us our homes, or more.

[eye30]

Great move which will save heaps of tax payer dollars so the government can spend more on other things...like more speed cameras.

And think of the fines income......

So will this be another way to fleece the poor hard up motorist.

[rustynutz]

In W.A. (and I suspect in other states too) it is not a requirement for the authorities to send reminder notices to remind people they need to renew their vehicle licences.
They do it as a courtesy but there is no legal requirement to do so.
Anyone who moves house and doesn't notify the authorities immediately will not receive the notice.
Anyone who buys a car will not receive a notice either until the records catch up with the change of ownership.
But even for those who do receive the reminder notices, having a visible reminder on the windscreen keeps it at the forefront of their minds.
Personally, I don't have an issue with not have C/R stickers on the windscreen any more because as you rightly point out, if you do receive an account then you pay it.
But if for some reason it doesn't get delivered then it is easy to forget.

 

There's also the issue, which I think I've mentioned in a previous discussion of driving someone else's car and not having any idea whether you're driving a registered vehicle or not.... 

I knew that whenever I wanted, I could go online and check the registration of any of my vehicles and see when they are due or if in fact, they have lapsed.  In fact, I can easily check the rego on a vehicle that someone else owns.  I found this VERY interesting   (and most provocative).

There is also a great little service in SA that allows you to have an email or SMS sent to you automatically.  For this you need Client number, Plate number and Plate Type.  I've set ours to 7'days before registration is due.

[Dazzler]

I think the reason that the number of unregistered vehicles increases is because some people think that they are less likely to get caught with an expired Rego with the new system (which is probably true, to a point) 

[Phil №❶]

I think the reason that the number of unregistered vehicles increases is because some people think that they are less likely to get caught with an expired Rego with the new system (which is probably true, to a point) 

And ignore the personal injury insurance liability.

Forgive my ignorance, but most of the issues raised, as I see it, aren't related to the no sticker bit.  Police have been able to use rego plates to check currency without inspecting the sticker for some time.  In fact, why would they bother to look at the sticker.  They have been able to book drivers for ages using their on board technology.  Add to this the ability of fixed cameras to do similar checking and all the people who fail to renew, fail to update their address, fail to use technology themselves will have big brother check on them.  Hey, won't that be great as those who drive unregistered and uninsured will be caught.

What has happened now is that due to advances in technology, authorities have finally come to the realisation that stickers are a waste of time and money.

[Dazzler]

I think the reason that the number of unregistered vehicles increases is because some people think that they are less likely to get caught with an expired Rego with the new system (which is probably true, to a point) 

And ignore the personal injury insurance liability.

Yes probably .. I put these people in the same basket as those that drink and drive (often the same types of people)

You hear it on the news all the time.. "Joe Bloggs was caught driving an unregistered vehicle with a blood alcohol reading of XX" .. probably didn't have a license either 

[Doggie 1]

I used to look at the stickers all the time.
A quick check without having to do a physical check.

Don't know about other states, but SA has a rego receipt tear off that can be put in the glovebox.  I suggest slipping it in the sun visor with expiry date visible.

[Dazzler]

Forgive my ignorance, but most of the issues raised, as I see it, aren't related to the no sticker bit.  Police have been able to use rego plates to check currency without inspecting the sticker for some time.  In fact, why would they bother to look at the sticker.  They have been able to book drivers for ages using their on board technology.  Add to this the ability of fixed cameras to do similar checking and all the people who fail to renew, fail to update their address, fail to use technology themselves will have big brother check on them.  Hey, won't that be great as those who drive unregistered and uninsured will be caught.

What has happened now is that due to advances in technology, authorities have finally come to the realisation that stickers are a waste of time and money.

I agree Bob but I still think that a lot of dodgy people would have the perception that an expired sticker would have increased their risk of detection.. Not everyone knows about number plate recognition and stuff like that...

Don't know about other states, but SA has a rego receipt tear off that can be put in the glovebox.  I suggest slipping it in the sun visor with expiry date visible.

I might be the first to quote my own post, but it just occurred to me:

Motoring organisations would be well advised to get state authorities to have a card sized tear off included with rego renewal that can be placed in the sun visor of the vehicle as a reminder to drivers.

If you're driving someone else's car or a company car, just flip the sun visor and check the rego.

[Just Rick]

Doing away with rego stickers was supposed to save millions,did the government pass this saving on,NO, are people inadvertantly forgetting to register their cars and then getting hit with hefty fines From again the government,YES.

I personally don't give two turds if I have a rego sticker or not,I get my renewal notice and I make sure I pay it, if I want to check when it's getting close,I simply go to the web site and check all our rego's takes five minutes to check seven rego's.

if governments really wanted to save money how about doing away with so many of the made up administration jobs

[rustynutz]

Could do away with front numberplates on cars too...   

Could do away with front numberplates on cars too...   

  Took 22 posts, but it had to come.   

[Phil №❶]

The RAA in SA can provide a rego sticker for your window. My phone calendar will monitor the situation for me.

[Just Rick]

Could do away with front numberplates on cars too...   

  Took 22 posts, but it had to come.   

and it wasn't me,who's digging up all wounds this time 

[Just Rick]

The RAA in SA can provide a rego sticker for your window. My phone calendar will monitor the situation for me.

I'm with Rusty lets save more money and do away with number plates as well,we can simply use VIN numbers

[The Gonz]

The RAA in SA can provide a rego sticker for your window. My phone calendar will monitor the situation for me.

I'm with Rusty lets save more money and do away with number plates as well,we can simply use VIN numbers

I'm pretty sure I've seen cars in some states of the US with at least one plate removed - I guess they can make it work.

[Ugly Mongrel]

I just fitted the rego sticker on Lubricious (she turned three today and there is a separate thread to post birthday wishes  ) and I thought to myself, instead if the label, why not just make it law to carry the rego certificate in the glove box?

[The Gonz]

That's just what I do in this progressive    state of SA.

Same for those pesky periodic servicing stickers. I have mine stuck to the inside of the door above the coin tray (NOT an ashtray). Nothing but clean glass on Frugal Firty.

[Lester]

I just renewed the i30 and took off the last rego label.  No labels in New South Wales now.   The Roads and Maritime Service (old Roads and Traffic Authority of NSW) has forked out a lot of money to purchase ANPR's (Automatic Number Plate Recognition instruments) for the NSW Highway Patrol, the savings on labels help pay for the ANPRS, something like that.  That information is from one of my old workmates still in traffic law enforcement.

But sure, I agree with others on here..the shonks who drive unregistered (and unlicenced) think they will get away with it, they might and might not.  ANPR coming to a street near you.