Belgian MP has car fitted with Bond-style revolving number plates to avoid public abuse
Ian Flemish?
A Belgian MP has had his car fitted with a set of James Bond-style revolving number plates in an attempt to avoid public abuse.
In Belgium, politicians are all issued with a special “P” plate for their cars identifying them as members of the federal parliament, with the “P” followed by the length of time they’ve spent in office.
Such a plate confers upon them privileges such as access to reserved parking spaces in the centre of Brussels and the ability to avoid police checks.
One politician, however, decided that anonymity and the ability to move around without being identified as a politician was preferable to the perks of the plate.
Belgian MPs are issued with two vehicle registration certificates for the same car, one with the conventional number and other with the P-plate, with insurance forms listing both, meaning that politicians are within their rights to display both plates.
Inspired by the gadget-laden Aston Martin DB5 from the 1964 James Bond film Goldfinger, Michael Freilich — a Flemish nationalist MP — had his Chevrolet Captiva SUV fitted with revolving plates, allowing him to go incognito should the need arise.
“Some colleagues choose to use the P number plate all the time, others avoid doing so for fear of becoming the target of aggression or ending up on social media at the slightest blunder on the road,” he said.
“That’s why I took inspiration from James Bond, to make it a bit fun.”
In his quest for anonymity, Freilich used to switch his plates manually, which became a rather onerous chore until he found a Chinese-made rotating device for sale on eBay, operated by means of a key fob.
“I sometimes used them [the P-plates] for official visits and took them off again for a holiday abroad. I eventually got tired of such a hassle with screws at the front and rear,” he said.
“I consulted a number of lawyers and asked them if I could install such a system. Their comments were to always make sure that the front and rear plates are the same and do not change during your journey or, even worse, during a random speed check.
“I don’t intend to put it to the test. I don’t have any bad intentions.”
According to the Belgian road safety institute, Vias, Freilich’s modification to his car does fall within legal guidelines, however it cautions against the average motorist employing such a gadget.
“As a member of parliament, Mr Freilich has two regulatory number plates so this cannot be regarded as an attempt to prevent any traffic controls,” said Stef Willems, the spokesperson for Vias.
“Although I would not advise other people to use such a system.”
It goes without saying that such number plates are totally illegal in the UK, as it is an offence to fail to display or obscure a number plate under the Vehicle Excise and Registration Act 1994.
Using a rotating plate or a so-called “stealth” frame to obscure a number plate to avoid fines or parking fees is, according to one motoring lawyer, “tantamount to perverting the course of justice”, with penalties of up to two years in prison.
It’s also worth contemplating how this news story is actually more likely to increase Freilich’s notoriety on the road, whatever plate he shows. As Bond himself might quip, this has the potential to spin out of control..
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