Provincial Drivers Win Number Plates Battle

Motorists from provincial areas of France were celebrating yesterday, 29th October, as it was announced they would be able to continue displaying number plates that show where they live.

The Government was forced to retract its idea of replacing the traditional car registrations system in France with an anonymous code when anger began to mount in rural areas. The current system is a key symbol of local identity and drivers do not want that taken away from them.

Newspaper forums have been bombarded with messages concerning the matter of number plates and, as a result, Michele Alliot-Marie, the Interior Minister, announced that vehicle registration numbers would continue to display the number of the departement (county), but in smaller lettering.

This news was welcomed by the provinces. Sebastien Moulinat, deputy director of Jamais Sans Mon Departement, a group opposed to the reform, said: "It's just good to know where other cars are from and that we'll still be able to feel proud when we see someone from our own departement in another part of France."

While those in the provinces enjoy honking at their football rivals from other towns and so on, it seems Parisians will soon be able to change the last two digits of their number plates. '75', the current region-identifier for Paris, is often a source of harassment in other areas. Therefore, this change will be welcomed by those living in the capital.

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