Ask Phoebe: Jump to J reg plates is because I is too much like 1 - and O is like 0

The character combinations for all personalised plates are subject to a vetting process on a plate-by-plate basis. Photo / Brett Phibbs

Now the H-registration plates have finished, we've suddenly jumped to J-reg plates. What happened to I? Sue McPherson, Auckland.

The New Zealand Transport Agency says the letters I, O, V and X have all been excluded for use in the current series of general issue licence plates.

I and O are not used in general issue plates because of the close resemblance to other characters (ie the numbers 0 and 1) that could be misread, V is reserved for overseas plates and X for trade plates, which all start or end with X. The letter Q has not been excluded.

The use of V for overseas plates is only where the overseas plate combination has already been recorded on the Motor Vehicle Register, in which case V is used as the first character followed by the first 5 characters of the overseas plate.

The letters I and O are allowable on some personalised plates. The character combinations for all personalised plates are subject to a vetting process on a plate-by-plate basis and if the character combination is confusing, the Transport Agency has the ability to decline to issue that combination. For example, previously declined applications for personalised plates include those along the lines of O0O0 and I1I1I.

And the letter combination FN was never used as the start of the three-letter prefix.

The Transport Agency decided against using these letters, as they could be seen to be an abbreviation of a common swearword even though they would be followed by another letter. A number of other three-letter combinations are also disallowed.

I've received the latest White Pages Auckland directory with white and yellow business listings but no residential listings. Are we getting a separate residential directory? Lorna Clauson, Auckland.

Research by the publishers of the directories shows the number of look-ups in either the Auckland White Pages Business or Residential books was down 22 per cent in 2014 compared to 2013.

If you wish to receive a White Pages residential book phone 0800 803 803 or fill in the form on the contact page at ypgbooks.co.nz. Once you receive a hard copy, you'll continue to do so until you tell the good folk otherwise.