Licence plate should follow owner not car, says taxi driver

A St. John's taxi driver says the Newfoundland and Labrador governmentcould make achange that would reduce the number of people driving illegally.

• Uninsured and on the road: Drivers without insurance push premiums up for others

Doug McCarthy says anyone who sells a vehicleshould be required to remove the licence plates, so the new owner would be forced to get a new one.

Develop the intestinal fortitude to do something about it.- Doug McCarthy

"The only way that you are going to get a plate is if you prove to the province that one, you are licensed to drive and two, that you have the appropriate insurance in place for that vehicle so that you can puta plate on it," he said.

McCarthy believesunlicensed, uninsured, unregistered drivers are pushing up the cost of vehicle insurance. He says they are also road hazards.

"Don't put my life in jeopardy. And as far as the province is concerned, develop the intestinal fortitude to do something about it," he said.

Province considering change

TheRNCsays so far in 2017, officers have issued 1,622tickets for expired registrations. That compares with 2,223 tickets last year,and 1,927 in 2015.

In an emailed statement provincial officials tell CBCNews that they're looking atMcCarthy's proposal, something that is done in most other Canadian provinces.

"Service NL has received feedback from the St. John's Taxi Alliance and the general public advocating for a plate-to-owner model of motor vehicle registration," wrote a government spokesperson.

This issue exists inmanyjurisdictions, including in provinces where the plate-to-owner model is currently in use.- Service NL

"The government is evaluating the feasibility of reconfiguring the Motor Registration Division's computer system for this purpose."

However, the statement also questioned if the proposed change will have the desired result.

"While advocates for this model have stated that it would reduce the numberof drivers operating motor vehicles without a driver's licence, registration and/or insurance, this issue exists inmanyjurisdictions, including in provinces where the plate-to-owner model is currently in use," the statement read.

"This suggests that a multi-faceted approach may be necessary to achieve the desired result."

• Auto insurance review may bring relief for premium pain

Service NL saidthe problem ofuninsured vehicles is also being examinedthrough the auto insurance review that is currently being conducted by the Public Utilities Board.