Haikou to scrap the use of '4' in auto plates

Haikou City will no longer use the number four in auto plates because in Chinese it is pronounced like death, police announced today.

Police in the Hainan provincial capital said people regard the number as a bad omen, so existing plates containing "4" will be scrapped and new plates won't use it, China Radio said on its Website.

Some residents said this measure would promote superstition and upset those fond of the number, the report said.

The practice will also waste a lot of auto plate numbers, which are national treasures that can't be changed randomly by local governments, the report quoted some residents as saying.

Source: ShanghaiDaily
Tags: Vehicle | Number Plate