The new provincial licence plate is in the running to be named “best plate” by the world’s largest collectors group, says Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal Minister Robert Vessey.
“We are pleased that our new licence plate has been well received, both by Islanders and by licence plate collectors,” Minister Vessey said. “One of the criteria for the Best Plate award is legibility, which was the main factor we considered when introducing the new plate to replace our five existing designs.”
Prince Edward Island’s Province House-themed plate was one of 12 new designs in 2013 nominated for the Automobile License Plate Collector’s Association (ALPCA) Best Plate Award for the past year. It was the only plate from Canada nominated; the others are from the U.S. and one is from Mexico.
Only ALPCA members can vote in the contest through March 4. The winner will be announced in April in the association’s magazine and on its web site, www.alpca.org. The association has more than 2,600 members in all 50 U.S. states and in 19 countries.
More than 50,000 new plates have been purchased for Island passenger vehicles since going on sale September 20, 2013. There are approximately 115,000 vehicles registered in the province.
Islanders can also add an image of a Fox, Trout, Lady’s Slipper, Canada Goose, or Blue Jay to their plate for an annual fee of $10 that supports wildlife conservation efforts. Like the standard-issue plate, the conservation plates are available in English and French.
Motorists have until September to install a new licence plate, which they can purchase for $5 now or when renewing their vehicle registration at an Access PEI site or online at www.gov.pe.ca/mvr.