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Preparations for embossed number plates in final stage
Preparations are in the final stage for the launch of long-planned embossed vehicle number plates which will replace handwritten licence plates that have been in use for more than a century, the Department of Transport Management said.Preparations are in the final stage for the launch of long-planned embossed vehicle number plates which will replace handwritten licence plates that have been in use for more than a century, the Department of Transport Management said.
The new vehicle registration plates are planned to be issued within a week after the government gives the green signal.
The first phase will be piloted in Bagmati zone where the Capital is located. According to the department, embossed number plates will first be installed on two-wheelers and then on four-wheelers.
The department has said that it is technically equipped to go ahead with the plan, but several amendments have to be made to the Transport Management Act and Vehicle and Transport Management Rule before it can be implemented.
“A number of words in the act and rule need to be altered. We have proposed amendments and are seeking approval from the Home and Law ministries,” said Rup Narayan Bhattarai, director general of the department.
He added that amendments had to be made to the laws as English letters and numbers would be used on the licence plates instead of Nepali, and their prices will change.
The department will send the proposal to the Cabinet for its approval through the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport after the relevant ministries give the green light.
The plan to go for embossed number plates had been included in the Three-Year Interim Plan 2007-10, but it did not happen for a number of reasons like delays in conducting a proper study and confusion regarding the modality to be used.
The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) also intervened following a report regarding irregularities in 2010.
The project remained in limbo for almost a decade before a private firm was contracted to import the necessary equipment.
The new system will help the government to maintain uniformity in the issuance of vehicle numbers.
The cost of the new plates to vehicle owners will be decided later based on the features to be included and the implementation modality.