Arabic plates - is it legal

[Mole]

Spotted a couple of days ago, a large 4 wheel drive vehicle with registration plates entirely in Arabic (or something similar). There was nothing on the plates that a native english speaker could interpret or remember (i.e. the vehicle effectively had no registration number!).

 

Also there was no indication of the country of origin.

 

Is this legal?

 

Keep flying low

The Mole @ the molehill

[posix]

Yes it is, and you know why Mole? Because I bet you wouldn't be asking that same question of yourself if you were to put your car on a ferry and go to, say, Lebanon to visit the ex-prettiest town on earth, Beirut. Would you? But be honest...

[Jam Mad]

not sure on the legality. if the letters 'CD' appeared anywhere on the plate, then the answer is 'yes', 'cos they were diplomats. 'CD' stands for 'Corps Diplomatiqe' or something close to that, and means that the owner is only liable under the laws of their own country. crazy rule that is severely and regularly abused by some less scrupulous nations.

 

if the car is owned and kept full time in the uk, there is a time limit beyond which the car has to be re-registered. not sure what it is, and i doubt many coppers know, so it's open to abuse.

 

cheers,

 

j

 

ps i see your point pele, but pls remember in the virtual world of email and the internet, well founded points such as yours can look like harsh criticism, which i'm sure you didn't mean ( i hope ! ).

[Violet Elizabeth]

Less scrupulous nations - ummm..... The french, Les ? tongue.gif

[Bricol]

Only legal if the country in question has agreed to an internalional agreement allowing other countrys' drivers on their roads if taxed under their home countries laws. AND their has to be an indication of the home country.

 

Which explains the Dubai plated MR2 in Hudds - a year out of date, the US plated Corvette in Sheff - several years out of date, all the Uk plated cars in spain with no tax . . .

[Paul Ranson]

If you take your car to Egypt you will have to fix temporary number plates to it for the duration of your stay.

 

For all I know they might say 'English Plonker No 12543'....

 

Paul

[Violet Elizabeth]

Unless you have 007's Aston Martin, which had revolving number plates "valid in all countries", one set was arabic ISTR.

[Mole]

Thanks all.

 

Jam Mad - there were no CD plates, and yes pele, I do see it from the other point of view, but I amazed that is might be legal to drive a vehicle whose registration plates are totally unintelligible to the inhabitants of the country where you are driving.

 

Paul's Egyptian example seems the sensible way of doing it.

 

Keep flying low

The Mole @ the molehill

[posix]

Mole,

 

if you were to concentrate carefully on that number plate you'd actually notice that they are numbers, albeit in an "arabic" sort of style (but remember, we too use 'arabic numerals' not 'roman'). I think the best idea would be to standardise throughout the world on a number plate format (numbers only or I don't know, pretty pictures perhaps?) and a huge bar code (a la sci-fi films and such). I know, brave new world and such, but it would make things much easier.

That reminds me, I need a green card thingy for next week...