KATHMANDU, Dec 25: Embossed number plates, which are considered important for vehicle safety, have been installed only on 35,000 vehicles in six years.
The installation, which was stopped for some time due to various reasons including the legal system, has been carried on even in a small number recently. Despite 11 months remaining for the installation deadline, less than two percent of the vehicles have installed embossed number plates, according to the Department of Transport Management. The government has asked the public to install embossed number plates by November 2023.
Ishwori Datta Paneru, the spokesperson for the department, said that looking at the current speed of installation of embossed number plates, the installation of embossed number plates on all vehicles within the stipulated period is not possible.
Challenges in embossed number plate project: Only 78,000 plates...
According to him, it is stipulated in the law that embossed number plates should be installed to the vehicle but it is not mandatory. The government has set a target of installing embossed number plates on 2.5 million vehicles in five years.
The installation of embossed number plates on vehicles was relatively difficult due to legal and language disputes. After the period of installation of embossed number plates ended in May last year, it was extended for another two and a half years.
A case was filed at the court demanding that the embossed number plates should be in the Nepali language. In this regard, two years ago, the court decided that it does not matter if the plate is in English.
The Department of Transport Management made an agreement with Tiger IT (The Corporation) on May 30, 2016 for the supply and installation of the number plates. The use of technologically embossed number plates is expected to prevent vehicle theft, revenue evasion and criminal activities.
The department said that personal enrollment and information technology infrastructure will also be built in the agreement. International competition bids were invited for procurement of modern and scientific number plates.
According to the agreement, the supplier company will develop software including personal programs to connect vehicle owners to the embossed plate system along with 2.5 million cards and issue number plates from the computer system for vehicles. The software is ready and operational. Similarly, it was mentioned in the contract agreement that the machinery used for number plate printing should be installed and operated.
Infrastructure is being built at 10 locations for electronic monitoring of 'sticker' or tagged vehicles. The Department of Road will build infrastructures in the Kathmandu Valley in Nagdhunga, Jagati, Nagarjuna, Pharping, Jorpati and outside the valley in Itahari, Pathalaiya, Butwal, Kohalpur and Attaria.
