By NATARIO McKENZIE
Tribune Business Reporter
nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net
A LEADING Bahamian auto dealer said yesterday that it was “absolutely ridiculous” that he was having difficulty securing licence plates for his customer’s vehicles from the Road Traffic Department (RTD), describing it as a recurring problem over the past ten months.
Ben Albury, Bahamas Bus and Truck’s sales manager, told Tribune Business that the issue was ‘hindering’ his business. “Road Traffic seems to have a recurrent problem running out of licence plates. I have got vehicles sold, customers who have already paid but they can’t get their vehicles because we can’t get plates. In the past ten months we have had a recurring problem getting plates.”
Mr Albury added: “This isn’t a one-off type of thing, it’s a consistent problem. It is absolutely ridiculous that they are running out of plates. Two weeks ago we had a problem. Last week we had another problem. The other day we had nine vehicles and we couldn’t get any plate off them.
“Today I have six vehicles sold and ready to go and I can’t get any plates. It’s really hindering my business. It’s difficult having to tell a customer who has just spent $50,000 that can’t get any plates for their vehicle.”
Other auto dealers have indicated that they had faced similar difficulties in obtaining licence plates from the department. While some sources suggested yesterday that the issue was the result of equipment failure this could not be confirmed.
Road Traffic Controller Ross Smith said last night he would prefer to comment this morning when contacted by Tribune Business yesterday.
In June Minister of Transport and Aviation Glenys Hanna Martin decried the “antiquated” state of the RTD and listed it as a “critical area for reform” given its revenue-generating potential. According to the minister, the RTD is the third revenue earner in the country. The government forecast revenue of $39m from motor vehicles for the 2014/2015 budget. Mrs Hanna-Martin said that the government is moving to automate and modernise the department.
Comments
Sickened 10 years, 3 months ago
The prisoner's must be on strike and won't punch no more plates. Either that or the numbers got to big for their intellect!
sansoucireader 10 years, 3 months ago
Or they only printed them up to a certain number, and got rid of the machine--because they figured the numbers wouldn't go any higher! How come machines always breaking down here? Were they all brought at some company's going-out-of-business sale?
Franklyn 10 years, 3 months ago
No, it’s not a problem at the prison or with the prisoners, actually – vehicle plates are not made by prisoners as is the popular belief in the Bahamas. Plates are manufactured at the Ministry of Works in a huge building that houses a huge machine called a Federal 60, really it’s a dinosaur of about 45 years old - 3 of these 60 ton beast remaining in the world – with one being here in the Bahamas. I complete digital replacement is presently being offered to The Bahamas by a Bahamian Company and its German partners. The new technology is the size of a full size refrigerator and will emboss plate at a speed of 200 pairs per hour. The proposal will make the service available in the Bahamas at no start-up cost to the Bahamas, but there will be a fee for the new digital plates. We are looking forward to Government accepting our proposal.
http://tribune242.com/users/photos/2014…
sheeprunner12 10 years, 3 months ago
The time is long past for individual licence plates for LIFE......... many plates just go to waste in a country that produces no aluminum.
Secondly, the plates are of cheap quality ........ they peel easily and then RTD tells you to pay for a replacement set of plates............ will Police actually book you for peeled plates?????????
ayatollah 10 years, 3 months ago
This mustbe the most backwards,lazy and good for Nothing country in the world I mean come on running out of plates
damdanna101 10 years, 3 months ago
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digimagination 10 years, 3 months ago
Whilst on the subject of plates: Why on earth do we have yellow numbers on a light blue background - just to be different? It is NOT an easy combination and difficult to distinguish after a certain distance.
The clearest possible colour scheme is black letters on a white background. The next most clearly legible scheme is black letters on a yellow background. Enough said.
Franklyn 10 years, 2 months ago
Update: Met with the Controller of RTD where our Secure Digital Vehicle Plate and PTI Vehicle Inspection Service proposals were presented; immediately the plate proposal was said to be "not needed" due to an already arranged proposal from an "unnamed private group - in coordination with the Bahamas Prison Department."
It was said that "the arrangement would create jobs for some members of the prison population." The PTI Centres would be reviewed as there maybe an interest in PTI Vehicle Inspection in The Bahamas, as the Department move forward with modernization.
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