Ministry tells taxi drivers over new plate numbers

The Ministry of Works and Transport has urged motorists, particularly taxi drivers not to panic, saying clarification on the activation of new number plates will be explained at a later stage.

Speaking to The Namibian yesterday, the executive director Jonas Sheelongo says the ministry was still considering changes to the design and colour of the new number plates and would provide clarity on how they would apply to taxi operators using their own vehicles for private travel.

“We are looking at changes to the features of the number plates, including possibly the colours. The ministry will have to engage and provide informed guidance on how the new plates will work. Taxi operators should not panic; this will be clarified at a later stage,” he says.

This comes after concerns by social media users who complained that they do no want a plate number permanently marking their vehicle as a taxi as they may choose to use it for personal reasons.

The number plates come in various colours, designated for various uses, such as taxi, government and foreign diplomats, with security features such as scanning code.

The implementation is expected to kick in once stakeholder consultation has been concluded. With motorists getting six to 12 months to convert their plate numbers to the new one.

National Council standing committee on transport chairperson George Garab says the committee has not yet been consulted on the government’s newly announced vehicle registration plates.

Garab says the matter is still in the pipeline and that the committee had not received any information on the proposed changes, partly because the National Council is currently in recess.

“Up until now we did not do anything. So it’s in the pipeline,” Garab says.

Source: https://www.namibian.com.na/dont-panic/