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Mobility minister calls for stricter checks on personalised vehicle licence plates

14:53 29/04/2023

Mobility minister Georges Gilkinet has asked the Vehicle Registration Department (DIV) to be more vigilant in checking applications for personalised licence plates following reports of drivers sporting tags apparently celebrating the Third Reich.

A few months ago, an ‘HH88’ plate, interpreted as Heil Hitler, sparked controversy, Sud Info reported.

SPF Mobility contacted the owner to modify his licence plate. This was then placed on a blacklist.

"88" is often used as a coded reference to "Heil Hitler", referring to the eighth letter of the alphabet.

Belgians can personalise their licence plates for a payment of €1,000. The latest figures from the transport ministry put the number of personalised plates currently in circulation at 45,290.

Gilkinet said that he wanted the DIV to be more careful about filtering personalised plate applications.

"Such licence plates have no place on the public highway, even if the references are sometimes indirect and it cannot be excluded that, in some cases, the owners are not aware of the symbolism that they convey,” he said.

Written by Paul Millar