Embossed number plate not compulsory: DoTM

KATHMANDU: The Department of Transport Management (DoTM) has clarified that installation of embossed number plates in all vehicles from the beginning of new fiscal year was not made mandatory. According to DoTM Information Officer Ishwori Datta Paneru, installation of high-security embossed number plates is not compulsory but it is instead intensified. A notice issued by the department two days ago on the installation of embossed number plate — that contains details about the vehicle owner as well the status of the payment of revenue — had courted controversies among the public and on social media. Information Officer Paneru said that the department did not mean the citizens must affix the number plate in their vehicles compulsorily beginning from July 17 this year. The notice released recently was complementary to the statement issued on November 8, 2021, he shared. 'It is our responsibility to implement decisions made in the past." Furthermore, he admitted that there was no way to fix the embossed number plate on over 2.5 million vehicles registered in Nepal within 40 days. Based on the notices, the DoTM in Bagmati and Gandaki provinces had instructed to monitor whether the installation of number plate made up of aluminium and electronic chip with GPS system was implemented in the vehicles registered in the provinces. The notice had cautioned that traffic police would begin monitoring vehicles from July 17. It also informed about taking action against those vehicle owners not installing embossed number plates. The DoTM had awarded the contract to print the embossed number plate to Decatur Tiger IT, a joint venture company of Bangladesh and the USA. The agreement to fix the number plate based on computerised technology was signed in 2016. According to the Department, the responsible agencies and officials should pay attention to increase in liabilities to the State due to embossed number plates and dismal fulfilment of the target towards it. It is both the federal and provincial governments' responsibility for transport management. The federal government had inked the agreement for the embossed number plate while the provincial offices were enforcing the agreement. Lack of coordination between the two resulted in lax implementation. Meanwhile, lawmakers on Tuesday demanded the withdrawal of the provision issued by DoTM to affix embossed number plates in the vehicles within the current fiscal year. In course of deliberation on Appropriation Bill at the meeting of the House of Representatives, Nepali Congress lawmaker Gagan Kumar Thapa asked to withdraw the provision as it was not possible to affix the embossed number plate to all vehicles within the current fiscal year. READ ALSO:

• DoTM’s mandate for embossed number plate riles lawmaker Thapa
• Embossed number plate mandatory for vehicles applying for renewal from January 15
• Transport Ministry agrees price hike for long distance routes