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MP proposes to legalize sale of popular car numbers

United Russia faction favours his idea and intends to call a special commission meeting to consider proposals on the issue

MOSCOW, May 17 (Itar-Tass) - Some in the State Duma suggest legalizing registration of preferred car numbers for additional money.

A Duma member from the Just Russia party, Mikhail Serdyuk, has prepared a draft law allowing drivers to officially buy a desired number, the Izvestiya daily writes.

United Russia favours his idea and intends to call a special commission meeting to consider proposals on the issue.

Deputies explain that they hope in this way to prevent corruption among traffic police and add the money, which drivers spend to illegally buy number plates, to the Russian budget.

"For the beginning, we propose to introduce a higher charge for those who want to receive a registration number with "beautiful" combination of letters and figures. It will cost 100 times more than the regular state registration fee. You pay 150,000 roubles, and they (the numbers) are yours," Serdyuk explained.

At present. tens of websites can be found in the Internet with proposals to buy a "beautiful" registration numbers for an auto. The prices vary from 30,000 to 1.3 million roubles. For example, one will have to pay at least 30,000 for number plates with three "4s" and 450,000 for AAA. The most expensive are numbers of the "AMP" series which traditionally are placed on autos of government members, presidential administration officials and other big officials. Such a number costs 1.3 million roubles.

Thus, it will be cheaper to buy such numbers officially from the state than at the black market.

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