'Those selling illegal plates have got away with it for too long' - West Bromwich MP to speak in parliament on issue of 'ghost plates'
West Bromwich MP Sarah Coombes is part of a parliamentary group calling for a crackdown on groups and individual who supply illegal 'ghost' number plates.
She will call today (December 9) in parliament for restrictions on the number of licensed number plates sellers and tougher penalties for use of illegal plates by drivers.
A major new report warns the UK’s outdated and poorly regulated number plate system has created a vast and rapidly growing crisis that enables criminals and organised crime groups to operate undetected on the road network, lets dangerous drivers off the hook, poses serious safety concerns, and leads to a significant loss of public funds.
The All-Party Parliamentary Group for Transport Safety (APPGTS) launched the report which will be heard today following a cross-party inquiry into vehicle registration plates,
Currently the UK has more than 34,000 number plate suppliers, operating with no background checks and minimal oversight and some with criminal records.
Ms Coombes has worked with West Midlands Police on identifying vehicles which operate on cloned or illegal plates which can't be identified by Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras.
