Even as the government targets to implement this new number plate provision from the current fiscal year, it is yet to hire a consultant to this effect. The budget for the current fiscal year has accorded priority for implementing the embossed number plates. The Transport Management Regulation 1997 amended three years ago has also made embossed number plates mandatory for vehicles.
Sudarshan Dhakal, director general of the Department of Transport Management (DoTM) said that due to the delay in receiving policy level decision from MoPIT, they were likely to miss the target set for the current fiscal year. “We are yet to get approval, which will guide us in hiring a consultant,” he added.
In a bid to form a committee to prepare a tender document and hire a consultant by calling a global tender, the department had sent a proposal to MoPIT for approval about four months back. An official at MoPIT said that the proposal was under consideration in the legal division of the ministry. “Based on the suggestion of the legal division, the ministry will give approval to the department,” the official added.
The consultant will help implement the embossed number system based on the specification prepared by the government, according to Sarad Adhikari, director at the DoTM. He added that the government was also yet to decide on issues including the size, shape and colours of the plates and the method of issuance.
Earlier, the plan to go for embossed number plates had been inserted in the Three-Year Interim Plan 2007-10. The machine-made number plates are planned to replace the traditional hand-painted plates in use since automobiles first appeared in the country. The new plates will help the government maintain uniformity in the issuance of vehicle numbers, maintain scientific record of vehicles, discourage vehicle tax evasion and control auto theft.
There are an estimated 1.7 million vehicles, including more than 1.2 million two-wheelers registered in the country. DoTM officials said that though the embossed number plate plan failed to make progress, they were hopeful that issuance of the electronic driving licence would start within 2014.
Through the budget announcement, the government had targeted to implement embossed number plates, start issuance of smart card technology-based driving licence and vehicle registration certificate and bring Vehicle Fitness Centre into operation from the current fiscal year. Even as installation of all equipment in the hi-tech centre located at Teku, Kathmandu was completed three years ago, DoTM has failed to bring it into operation for failure to clear Rs six million outstanding dues of electricity bills to Nepal Electricity Authority to connect electricity line. The centre has been established to examine the roadworthiness of vehicles and certify them for operation.
DoTM has also demanded that the Ministry of Finance provide the necessary funds to pay the bills. The land on which the centre is established was formerly occupied by Nepal Transport Corporation, which used to operate Hetauda-Kathmandu ropeway service. The company’s utility bills have remained unpaid since it was dissolved by the government in 2002.
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