New license plates: Does this strengthen our ties to our homeland?

New license plates: Does this strengthen our ties to our homeland?

An exciting discussion about vehicle license plates is brewing in Germany, which could potentially provide a breath of fresh air in license plate design. The professor of destination management at Heilbronn University, Ralf Bochert, has made a proposal for the introduction of separate license plates that could affect 320 medium-sized cities in Germany. This idea aims to strengthen city marketing and create more local identity.

Bochert believes that introducing individual letter combinations on license plates would help municipalities promote their local identity both internally and externally. “It is a small topic, but one that speaks to the heart and strengthens the connection to the homeland,” he explained, while emphasizing the importance of this measure. Many citizens want a stronger localization, and Bochert sees this as an unbureaucratic solution.

Why are old license plates no longer so popular?

The current regulation on vehicle license plates has its roots in a 2012 liberalization that allows drivers to choose from several local and regional abbreviations. This turned out to be exemplary, as many discarded abbreviations were revived. Despite this possibility of using the old combinations, the system remains largely unchanged, as the use of old license plates is only permitted in certain cases.

With the proposed change, 320 cities that currently do not have their own license plates would benefit from an individual identifier. A list of possible abbreviations includes, among others: BKR for Bad Krozingen and BEN for Bensheim. These abbreviations could help cities to better position themselves in regional competition and to send a strong signal for local identity.

How could the process for introducing new license plates work?

In order to put the proposal into practice, a federal state would first have to submit an application to the Federal Ministry of Transport to change the vehicle registration regulations. Bochert describes this process as relatively straightforward: “Only two sentences need to be changed, allowing for additional license plates,” he says. The path for new license plates would then lead through the federal state, the legal test steps and finally publication in the Federal Gazette.

However, there has so far been a lack of concrete requests from the state, which suggests that further discussions within the municipalities and between the state governments are necessary before this wish can become a reality.

However, support for the proposal is growing in local communities. Many mayors have spoken positively about the idea and see it as a valuable opportunity for their cities to foster a sense of belonging. Erik Lierenfeld, the mayor of Dormagen, summed it up: “These letters show where you come from, where you belong.”

Positive signals are also coming from the federal government, which is apparently open to the idea. Oliver Luksic, Parliamentary State Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Transport, says that the matter will be examined favorably. However, it remains to be seen whether the state governments will submit corresponding applications.

However, there are also skeptical voices on this topic. Achim Brötel, president of the district council, expressed concerns that there are far more pressing problems that require politicians' attention. He criticizes the proposal as unnecessary and warns of a possible flooding of the license plate market, which would bring no real benefit.

Overall, the issue of new license plates shows how deeply rooted the interest in homeland and identity issues is among the population. However, the path to adoption will be a political process that will include both supporters and critics. There is a chance of new license plates, but the final result remains to be seen.