NZ Transport Agency tells Auckland man to hand in offensive personalised plates

An Auckland man has drawn the ire of other motorists because of his offensive personalised number plate. Photo / 123rf

An Auckland man has been told to hand in his personalised number plates after they were deemed offensive and he had run-ins with other motorists calling him a racist.

The plates were based on an internet meme used to mock the Islamic religion.

The Herald has chosen not to name the man, show his plates or publish some of his comments.

He defended his actions, saying he was not a racist but was making a free speech protest against all forms of organised religion.

The NZ Transport Agency originally wrote to the man, saying it had received a complaint about the plates and would assess this at a panel meeting in August.

The panel then deemed the plates offensive, leading the NZTA to revoke them and order the man to hand them in.

"It is the Transport Agency's responsibility to ensure the number and letter sequences appearing on vehicle registration plates are not seen to be offensive, derogatory, obscene or promote any form of bias, discrimination or violence," it said.

However, the man could exchange the plates for a new personalised set free of charge, the agency said.

The man admitted the plates had brought him attention on the roads.

He told the NZTA he had only had one incident because the plates, but actually it was "more like six a day".

"One guy tried to ram me and kill me on the motorway," he said.

"He got p*** off because he couldn't overtake me. Then he comes up closer and he saw the plate.

"And he starts screaming: 'Oh, you racist b***'."

The collision damaged his car's side panels and mirror, he said.

The man said he would take the plates off his Mazda so he didn't get arrested, but still wanted to keep a hold of them in his house as a keepsake.

He said he also had another set of personalised plates that weren't racist but were good for annoying lefties.