A legislative effort to create a temporary license plate system for newly purchased vehicles that’s touted to recover millions of dollars in lost bridge toll revenue is still receiving pushback from advocacy groups worrying consumers individuals would be unduly burdened.
Assemblyman Kevin Mullin, D-South San Francisco, authored the bill that would ensure all new and used cars could be identified by law enforcement the moment they’re driven off a dealer lot.
Several consumer advocacy groups and the state’s Department of Finance have opposed the bill. Concerns include allowing dealers to unnecessarily increase fees they charge consumers, drivers could be issued tickets or repeatedly pulled over if they don’t receive the plates through no fault of their own, and altering the temporary plates would become a felony.
Mullin said he’s working with the Western Center on Law and Poverty to try and find solutions that will address these types of concerns. One idea is to require police officers to check DMV records as to whether permanent plates were issued before issuing tickets to those who’ve exceeded the 90-day limit, according to Mullin’s office.
