Johannesburg - The Gauteng Department of Transport has unveiled a new vehicle number plate series as part of efforts to reduce fraud.
Roads and Transport MEC, Ismail Vadi, launched the new number plate series on Tuesday, with the first set going to Premier Nomvula Mokonyane's official vehicle.
The province announced earlier this year that it had exhausted its eight million number plates and began working on plans to introduce a new number plate system.
There were also concerns that it was hard to tell at face value whether a number plate was legitimately issued due to the lack of a proper security system.
"Our government has noted the ease with which number plates can be illegally obtained to conduct criminal activities," Vadi said.
False number plates facilitated the export of stolen vehicles to neighboring countries, while also increasing cases of robberies and evasion of traffic fines.
The new numbers, which start with BB 01 BB GP, will be issued only on aluminum plates and contain distinctive security features, such as a continuous and unbroken wave mark running horizontally on the white, retro-reflective plate surface. The number plate's border, letters and numbers are in dark blue, with a distinctive watermark feature.
Vadi said the new plates were comparable in price with the current ones and would be available to the public at no additional cost.
"It is important to note that motorists will be able to keep their old registration numbers as the new number plate series is mandatory only for newly-registered vehicles and for transfer of ownership of second hand vehicles," he said.
The department has accredited more than 100 suppliers, who are expected by law to register all new vehicles with the new plate system.
