NEW NUMBER PLATES FOR GAUTENG

It might sound like a silly April Fool’s joke, but it definitely isn’t. On 1 April, motorists who apply for a new car licence disc will also have to get a new registration number.

According to Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi, the new number plates will be “tamper-proof” with stricter security measures compared to the plates currently in use by motorists.

“We are starting afresh, all of us, every person that has a car must re-register and get a new registration number that cannot be copied and is reliable so that we know what is happening in our province.”

The Gauteng Department of Transport (GDoT) said that approximately 80% of criminal acts in Gauteng involve a vehicle that is usually fitted with falsified number plates.

To know whether you must be registered in the province or not, simply work out if you spend 39 consecutive days in Gauteng or not. If you do, you need to register in Gauteng.

Information about the new number plates hasn’t been released yet. The unveiling was meant to happen in October 2023 already, but it never happened.

Recently, Lesufi said that the plates will be fitted with a QR code linked to the vehicle owner for easy identification.

The GDoT said the new number plates will make it easy for the provincial government to account for every vehicle in the province. The aim of renewing every car’s plates is to minimise crime by assisting law enforcement agencies to track vehicles more easily.

Image credit: South African