Friday, January 4, 2002
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Friday, January 4, 2002 |
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State unsure if GEMs qualify for automobile tags; local office stops issuing them for now By JOHN
MUNFORD
The Fayette County Tax Commissioner's Office has stopped issuing motor vehicle tags for the electric vehicles that were recently approved for use on Peachtree City's cart path system. That's because the state Department of Motor Vehicle Safety has not yet decided if the Global Electric Motorcars qualify to be registered with a tag, according to Fayette County Tax Commissioner George Wingo. All Georgia tag offices were notified to stop issuing the tags for the GEMs on December 20, he said. "At this point, it's not clear whether the state will allow them to be registered," Wingo said. "And I don't know when we're going to know. My gut feeling is that they'll ask the state attorney general if they should be registered." One of the state's requirements is that the vehicle must be able to be used on a state highway, and that's where the snag has developed, Wingo said. The GEMs, which reach a top speed of 25 mph, can only be used on roads with speed limits up to 35 mph, according to federal guidelines. When the Peachtree City Council approved the GEM electric motorcars for use on the city's cart paths last month, it was with the understanding that each vehicle would be issued a motor vehicle tag, just like a regular automobile. That's one of the many reasons Police Chief James Murray supported allowing the vehicles on the cart paths. Car tags would make it easier for citizens to report offenders, and the GEM drivers would be required to meet all Georgia motor vehicle laws, he said. Wingo estimated that between 25 and 30 of the GEMs have been purchased by local residents in the past month. Prior to the order to stop issuing the tags for GEMs, the local office had issued tags to several GEM owners, he said. If state officials decide the GEMs don't qualify for Georgia vehicle tags, it could jeopardize the $5,000 tax credit many GEM owners have been counting on to offset the cost of the vehicle. The City Council was slated to discuss the latest developments on this issue at its meeting last night after The Citizen's deadline.
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