A Melbourne cleaner's licence plates have been cancelled after being deemed "offensive" by the Department of Transport for making reference to COVID-19.
Peter Smith runs an infectious cleaning business and got the custom number plates 'CVD 19' made for his truck last April.
However, VicRoads sent the man a letter last week, informing him his plates have been cancelled as they have "specific negative references" and must be handed in by July 29.
"The word they've used is that their records have indicated that 'CVD-19 has specific negative references … and may be considered offensive by the broader community'," he told 3AW today.
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"They are offended by a plate that they issued. I don't think it's offensive in any way, in context."
Mr Smith described the decision to revoke his plates as "arbitrary", claiming it was "totally subjective" if the plates were offensive.
"Someone has woken up in the morning and said 'I don't like it'. The question is: where does it stop? What number plate will be deemed offensive next?"
The Department of Transport in a statement said it had received a complaint about the number plate, prompting a review.
The review deemed the plates as "insensitive" given the catastrophic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and recalled the plates on that basis.
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"The Department of Transport is sensitive to community expectations and standards regarding number plate content and reserves the right to recall number plates following community feedback," the statement read.
"There has been a complaint about number plate CVD19 and given all that Victorians have been through the complaint was upheld and the plates were recalled on the grounds it has been seen as insensitive.
https://omny.fm/shows/mornings-with-neil-mitchell/infectious-diseases-cleaner-has-number-plates-canc/embed?style=cover"The terms and conditions that apply to custom plates are clearly stated on our website and include provisions to recall plates that are inappropriate or cause offense to the community."
The business owner said he was gobsmacked people found the number plate offensive as he had received "nothing other than positive comments" about it.
"I've crossed the border during lockdown, I've had the police have their photographs taken with it, I've had the army at Echuca have selfies taken with it," he said.
Mr Smith has been offered a refund for the custom license plate.
