The Guernsey Environment Department will introduce a new vehicle registration system using prefixes 0 and 00, sending James Bond fans into state of frenzy over the prospect of bidding for the 007 plate. The agency ruled out the introduction of letters, citing the cultural importance of the long-standing numeric coding system. Clive Maides, an auctioneer, estimated that the sale of new plate numbers could raise £1m for the island.
The department would open the new marks for public bidding in non-sequential order over several years. Legal issues have to be considered, as well as the possible implications of the new marks for the existing plates, said the department.
The department is yet to update the local vehicle registration database software so it can recognize the new prefix codes. Registration marks traditionally contain numbers one, two and sometimes three, thus the government decided not to issue 001, 01, 002, 02, 003 and 03. Digits one and two are reserved for the bailiff and lieutenant governor.