City considers ‘lucky draw’ for car plates
SHANGHAI traffic authorities are considering a new scheme - a lucky draw - for car plates every month and do away with the current auction system that was criticized by a local lawmaker.
In the new lottery scheme, the authorities will set a fixed price for the car plates and the winners will be picked in a draw, the Shanghai Transport Commission said yesterday.
The commission was reacting after the lawmaker called for an end into the auction system.
The planned lottery scheme is already in play in Beijing and Tianjin.
“The commission has to analyze and evaluate the new scheme and decide if they want to dump the auction platform and replace it,” an official from the commission told the Oriental Morning Post.
The official admitted that the current auction system was not foolproof and that many agents pocketed hefty profits by charging huge commission fees.
Li Feikang, the legislator, urged the city government to stop the auctions to “curb the rampant misuse by the agents,” as well as “make it fairer for the drivers.”
“The auction system has fundamentally lost the meaning of an auction since the government sets a ceiling price and the results mainly depend on the Internet speed and, in some cases, illegal software,” Li said.
He suggested that two people from every household should be allowed to take part in the lucky draw every month. If one of them wins a plate, the family should be excluded for the next five years.
The city government decided on car plate auctions in 1995 in an effort to control the increasing number of private vehicles. The price of the plates have soared from 1,000 yuan (US$161) to as much as 80,000 yuan. In June, the authorities gave away 7,400 car plates.
Li said some illegal agencies charged as much as 25,000 yuan for the auction as the car owners were desperate to get the plate as the temporary plates can only be used for three months.
“The professional auctioneers broke the fairness of the system,” he said.
The commission said it would take all suggestions into consideration.
But it warned that even under the lottery scheme, new problems could emerge while it was quite difficult to set the official price.
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