Tauranga City Council has voted to retain its two month ‘grace period' for expired registration and Warrant of Fitness for vehicles parked in council patrolled areas.

Councillors met this morning to examine whether it is viable to reduce the period of expired vehicle registrations and Warrant of Fitness from two months to one month.

TCC has voted to retain the two-month grace period for expired WOFs and registrations on cars parked in city patrolled areas.

If a vehicle's registration or warrant of fitness expired less than two calendar months ago, the owner of the vehicle ticketed has 14 days to obtain either registrations in order to have their ticket waived.

Councillors voted 5-4 in support of keeping the ‘grace period' of two months, saying a reduction will cause further financial implications.

Council staff report the extra month brings in $1.7million a year, but Councillor David Stewart says it is never about revenue and it never should be.

'One month is more than adequate. I think as a city we have a responsibility to enforce our city as a safe city.”

Councillor Wayne Moultrie says at the end of the day having a safe vehicle is a personal responsibility rather than the councils.

This decision follows the Governments new WOF system, where new cars registered after the year 2000 undergo an initial inspection followed by annual inspections once they are over three-years-old.

Vehicles registered after January 1, 2000 will undergo six-monthly inspections.

The council currently has six parking officers who check registrations and warrants when cars are parked in designated public car parking areas.

Tauranga City Council transportation operations manager Martin Parkes says the decision impacts on all Tauranga ratepayers and the wider community.

'In the two month grace period you are able to get it sorted. All we are trying to do is put another tool in the toolbox to make our streets safer.”

However, he admits council is being generous compared with neighbouring towns including Te Puke and Whakatane, which serve separate tickets for both expired registrations and warrant of fitness.

Councillor Bill Faulkner says the $1.7m is split 50-50 with government while the council is left to pick up all the costs.

'I think we are doing the police's work here.”