Greek number plates? It would be a world first

Cyprus is thinking about changing to Greek alphabet number plates in the near future?

It’s time we stood up to the highly paid arrogant civil servant or MP who sits in the Road Traffic Department who makes such wide sweeping decisions, in direct contravention, of not one but two treaties, one of those being an international convention?

First is the United Nations Economic & Social Councils Conference on Road Traffic 1968, implemented in 1977, and the Vienna Convention on Road Traffic 1968, implemented in May 1977, an International Treaty, both these deal with the standardisation of Traffic Laws including road signs and number plates.

I won’t bore readers with technical details but what they broadly say is, all number plates, must display Latin characters, and Arabic numerals, i.e. ABC,123.

Greek alphabet letters may be displayed by glyphs whose appearance similar to Latin, which means no G, ?, T, ?, ?, F, ? or O.

Ever seen a Greek mainland number plate? There are no letters from the Greek alphabet, so Greece has conformed; why must Cyprus go its own way – again?

There is a get-out clause; in addition to Latin letters, other alphabet letters may be displayed – but only in addition. But as the convention specifies, number plate size, that means that Cypriot vehicles would have to display 2 number plates on the front and rear of each vehicle. One in Greek, and one in Latin/Arabic.

I also see that all motorbikes are going to have to display Greek number plates: why bother? None of the motorbikes I have seen display any number plates at all, let alone Greek ones.

The National Guard display Greek numbers on their vehicles – that’s because they are military vehicles. If by any chance they had to go abroad, they would have to comply with the two treaties.

 

Barnacle Bill,

Larnaca

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