Motorists in mourning as famous NDE and NGL plates head for the bin
KZN relents and joins all other provinces, except the Western Cape, in implementing new system.
Local motorists have already started fitting the new KZN number plates onto their vehicles after the new licence numbering system for the province was launched on December 1 by the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport.
For many, this was a seminal moment as the new system dispenses with the much-loved ‘town number system’ unique to KZN and (still) the Western Cape.
“We always joked that NGL meant No Girls Left, NDE Near Death Experience, NN (Newcastle) No Nonsense, NV (Vryheid) No Visitors and NPP (Paulpietersburg) Natal Poor People, etc.
“Now we have these silly generic ones and there is no chance of recognising from which town a vehicle is from,” moaned one motorist.
According to the KZN Transport Department, the commencement of the new numbering system follows several consultations with various stakeholders, including RTMC, SABS and manufacturers of blank number plates.
Provincial Motor Licensing Bureaus (MLBs) and RTI will have workshops on changes brought about by the system and its requirements. Registering authorities in the province will also be provided with ongoing support to ensure that the implementation goes ahead with limited challenges, if any.
The first phase of the new numbering system will cater for the registration of new motor vehicles, re-registration of vehicles to new owners, stolen vehicles that are recovered and re-licensed onto the owner’s name and government vehicles.
The first phase will be from December 1, 2023, to February 28, 2024.
The second phase will commence on March 1, 2024, catering for all vehicle owners to migrate from the current system to the new system.
Throughout the 24-month implementation period, motorist will be given 21 months (starting from March 1, 2024) to voluntarily migrate to the new system, after which it will be mandatory.
New number plates will not depict towns and demarcations, but will instead have a continuous numbering system. The security features will also assist in the fight against crime.
The changes to the new licence numbering system are prompted by the fact that some towns have run out of numbers.
So prepare to have a new number plate on your car, bakkie or SUV.
The cost of a pair of plates will set you back around R400.
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