TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums St. Maarten - St. Martin Now, this is just stupid

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Stickers, yes, a good idea, instead of new plates every year. But just do them the way they do here in Florida, a perfectly readable year and month sticker. Easy. A police officer doesn't need any fancy thing to read when the person's plate expires. And the car owner can read it also. Stupid simple, as they say, but it works. This obsession with QR codes is out of hand.

"a perfectly readable year and month sticker."
Same here in WA State. So simple.

I agree, same here in Minnesota

What a dumb idea. This is a perfect example of “just because technology allows you to do something doesn’t mean you should”.

I can just see it now, traffic jams all over SXM because road blocks are set up everywhere so police can stop cars to scan the QR code to see if the registration is up to date. Meanwhile like has been going on for more than 3/4’s of a century in just about every other part of the world cars flow freely with easily readable stickers with dates on their windshields or license plates.

Really? Agree this is yet another waste of time and money on everyone’s part.

For the powers that be in SXM - it’s simple.The simple sticker with expire date only is all you need. If the date is expired you then pull the car over and all the other info should be readily available. It's that easy. Or it should be!

Fletch--Amen!!!

Here in CT, we haven't had stickers for years. The police can scan you as you drive down the road with a sort of radar "gun"for registration info(mine was up to date) and emission information . Don't ask me how I know...

Surprised that anyone here in the US is using that system. I still think it makes absolutely no sense for SXM. And I really don't see the advantage, in any circumstances, anywhere really.

The only feature of a QR code sticker vs. a date/year colored sticker that is meaningful is the information embedded in the QR code, and that it is machine readable. The fact that they talk about being able to scan QR codes on passing cars is interesting. Even without my tinfoil hat, I find that interesting. But tell me more about these cameras...

"The ministry will look into updating the software in the cameras on the public roadways, to be able to read the QR codes on the stickers when a vehicle is being operated. When the QR code is read, it will indicate whether or not a vehicle's motor vehicle tax payment is up to date. The system can also be set to automatically send an email to the vehicle owner informing them that they are not up to date with their motor vehicle tax payment. Another feature that can be enabled is for the same message to be sent to the motor vehicle owner's WhatsApp number."

Exactly. should’ve done the sticker thing years and years ago and not waste the plates. Sometimes sxm gov just trying to much to be like bigger governments when it’s not needed. Keep it simple especially on St Maarten!

The Ontario government is discontinuing the licence stickers here and are refunding the money spent for them over the past few years. We are all happy about that! The actual licence plate is all that is needed. The stickers are just a money grab.

So that make the Licences free to drive vehicle. WA voted in $30 tap fees but our Gov won't do it. My truck tabs were over $700 this year.

Not totally free, just that there will no longer be date stickers on the plates. Renewals will still be done to confirm insurance information, but there will not be a renewal fee for light truck/passenger vehicles. You still have to purchase the initial licence plate from MTO. I assume the fee to transfer the plate to a different vehicle, or to replace a plate, will still involve a fee, as it does now. Plus, there is still a fee every five years to renew your driver's licence.

Anyone who has already paid to renew their sticker (for either one or two years) since March 2020 will receive a refund cheque.

The province is investing in Automated Licence Plate Recognition (ALPR) technology to instantly read licence plates. Many police services already use this. Ontario now joins four other provinces and one territory in eliminating plate renewal stickers. Maybe Sint Maarten should be looking at this technology. Whether this or renewal stickers (QR code or regular), it should still be cheaper than constantly issuing new licence plates.

The topic was only about discontinuing the licence plate stickers. You still have to renew your plates online or in the office but no money involved until a new plate is required.

Yes, I understand that, and stated as much in my post. Please re-read my second sentence: "Renewals will still be done to confirm insurance information, but there will not be a renewal fee for light truck/passenger vehicles." So not sure what you are trying to say?

OK, I think has gone somewhat far afar from the original post.

Here's another thought. The police radar gun can't pick up a sticker on a windshield as it does on a license plate. So there goes speeding tickets! Not that it matters, how many times have you been passed doing the speed limit??? SMH!!! The other thing is, what are they going to do about license plates for the two wheelers??? Half of them are renegades out there!! The plates, just like in the states are part of the registration, where as the owner pays for them. No skin off the governments nose. As I understand they are manufactured in the USA for the Dutch government.