User:Montecara/Sandbox 4

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Railways

Public transit

Roads

A typical street in the historic center of Montecara

Roads and streets in Montecara are designed and managed with a variety of users in mind, including pedestrians, cyclists, and private and commercial drivers. Most streets in the historic city are too narrow to drive a full-sized car on; moreover, many include sections with stairs. In these areas, pedestrian traffic is the norm, with considerable usage of bicycles and motorbikes as well. Commercial deliveries are done mainly by handcart or cargo bicycle, and emergency services are provided on foot and by motorbike.

The road surface is cobblestone in historic areas and concrete or asphalt elsewhere, especially on higher-speed roads outside built-up areas. There are unpaved roads in the hinterland, especially on the grounds of villas and farms.

Very few streets allow on-street parking, particularly overnight. Drivers generally must park in paid garages.

Traffic laws

Rules of the road as posted at the Montecaran border

Vehicle registration plates

MC-plate.png

Vehicle registration plates in Montecara are assigned through an auction system that caps the number of plates available and requires vehicle owners to pay the fair value of their use. Plates come in pairs and must be attached front and back.

The Montecaran government issues plates through the Secretariat of the Environment, Transport, and Urban Development. The number of plates available is determined by vehicle class and is aimed at minimizing congestion and pollution.

Acquisition of a registration plate takes the form of a uniform-price auction held every three months. Before placing a bid, an applicant must provide proof that they have a vehicle available for import. The applicant does not need to hold the title to the vehicle, but there must be a purchase agreement and a vehicle identification number that can be presented to make a valid bid.

Plates remain the property of the Montecaran government and may not be sold or transferred. They are valid only for the vehicle they were assigned to. Transit vehicles, construction equipment, and boats do not require registration plates and are covered by other regulatory frameworks.

Mechanism

Applicants submit one sealed bid each at the price they would be willing to play for a registration plate. The auction window lasts for one week, with bids submitted online through the state's auction portal at targa.go.mc and the money put into escrow. After the window closes, all bids are opened, and plates are distributed to bidders in order from highest bid on down. The price paid, however, is uniformly that of the lowest successful bid.

A much simplified example would be:

Example case with four available plates
Bidder Bid Winner Price paid
A Ł100,000 Yes Ł100
B Ł7,000 Yes Ł100
C Ł5,000 Yes Ł100
D Ł100 Yes Ł100
E Ł99 No Ł0 (bid returned)
Statistics for class A1 (private cars, no more than 3.5 tonnes) plate auctions 2017-2018
Date Price Plates
Dec. 2018 Ł34,420 221
Aug. 2018 Ł52,198 65
Apr. 2018 Ł37,390 197
Dec. 2017 Ł60,119 48
Aug. 2017 Ł41,101 207
Apr. 2017 Ł38,115 173

Because there were only four plates to distribute, the lowest bidder, E, did not win a plate. The price paid by all successful bidders, Ł100, was identical, and the difference between the submitted bid and the winning bid, if any, is returned from escrow. All losing bidders have their full bid returned.

In order to fight collusion among bidders that might artificially lower the price, the government sets a reserve price at each auction which, if not met, means that no plates will be sold. This price is not made publicly available before or during the auction.

Air

Sea

Ferry terminal