Motor traffic department swaps new plates for old
 |
| A motorcycle with one of the new number plats registered in the Western Province. Sri Lanka�s motor traffic department is drastically changing its �English� numbering of vehicles and returning to the old format while retaining the new-type number plates. LBO Photo |
|
| A motorcycle with one of the new number plats registered in the Western Province. Sri Lanka�s motor traffic department is drastically changing its �English� numbering of vehicles and returning to the old format while retaining the new-type number plates. LBO Photo |
Under the system introduced in 2001, all vehicles, irrespective of the type of vehicle and the type of fuel used, were allocated numbers starting with �GA� with each set of letters running up to number 9,999.
The diplomatic community was allocated plates bearing the letters �DP�.By the end of June, the running series was KA, but the department stopped issuing this series to any vehicle other than cars.
New registrations for cars start from �KA�, motor cycles �MA�, motor coaches �NA�, three wheelers �QA� and so forth.
The plates will also show the type of fuel being used � �P� for petrol, �D� for diesel, �E� for electric and �G� for gas.
Laws to register gas vehicles have not come into force yet, but the department has left room for that too, Commission of Motor Traffic, V Wijeratne told LBO.
�The old system was somewhat better, but we ran out of numbers so the department changed to English letters starting with GA for vehicles registered from 2001 onwards,� Wijeratne said.
The switch comes following complaints from police and general public that they are unable to distinct vehicle types from their number plates, he explained.
�The police complained to us that people were removing plates of three wheelers and motorcycles and putting them on cars and vans to commit unlawful activities like crime and robberies,� Wijeratne said.
Meanwhile, owners sporting numerical number plates can pick up an �English� number by paying registration fees once again.
Letters AA-FZ have been allocated to this category, which Wijeratne says is sufficient to register over 200,000 old vehicles.
But the move backfired, after vehicle owners refused to pay again to acquire an alphabetical number plate.However, the offer is still stands open to anyone wishing to take it up, he said.
Sri Lanka is also one of the few countries in the world that does not issue numbers adding up to 13, for fear of bad luck.
Fees for the new licence plates will remain as usual, starting from Rs. 3,550 for a motor car.
The department also sells �vanity plates� or �golden numbers� at over Rs. 8,000 a piece.
Meanwhile, the traffic police, who�s mandate includes doing spot checks on vehicle registrations, are quite in the dark over the new number plate system.
Lucky Peiris, Senior Superintendent and Director Traffic Police was aware of the decision, but said that the department has not received a formal notification yet.
According to Central Bank statistics, new vehicle registrations were up 60 percent to 223,842. New registrations have slowed somewhat, after the government virtually doubled import taxes last October, in a bid to curb the island�s fuel bill.
 |
| A trishaw driver points at the new number plate in his trishaw in Colombo. Sri Lanka�s motor traffic department is drastically changing its �English� numbering of vehicles and returning to the old format while retaining the new-type number plates. LBO Photo |
New registrations for cars start from �KA�, motor cycles �MA�, motor coaches �NA�, three wheelers �QA� and so forth.
The plates will also show the type of fuel being used � �P� for petrol, �D� for diesel, �E� for electric and �G� for gas.
Laws to register gas vehicles have not come into force yet, but the department has left room for that too, Commission of Motor Traffic, V Wijeratne told LBO.
�The old system was somewhat better, but we ran out of numbers so the department changed to English letters starting with GA for vehicles registered from 2001 onwards,� Wijeratne said.
The switch comes following complaints from police and general public that they are unable to distinct vehicle types from their number plates, he explained.
�The police complained to us that people were removing plates of three wheelers and motorcycles and putting them on cars and vans to commit unlawful activities like crime and robberies,� Wijeratne said.
Meanwhile, owners sporting numerical number plates can pick up an �English� number by paying registration fees once again.
Letters AA-FZ have been allocated to this category, which Wijeratne says is sufficient to register over 200,000 old vehicles.
 |
| A lorry in Colombo registered under the new numbering system that identifies the type of vehicle. Sri Lanka�s motor traffic department is drastically changing its �English� numbering of vehicles and returning to the old format while retaining the new-type number plates. The department also offers vanity plates with easy to identify numbers like in the picture at a premium above the normal registration fee. LBO Photo |
Sri Lanka is also one of the few countries in the world that does not issue numbers adding up to 13, for fear of bad luck.
Fees for the new licence plates will remain as usual, starting from Rs. 3,550 for a motor car.
The department also sells �vanity plates� or �golden numbers� at over Rs. 8,000 a piece.
Meanwhile, the traffic police, who�s mandate includes doing spot checks on vehicle registrations, are quite in the dark over the new number plate system.
Lucky Peiris, Senior Superintendent and Director Traffic Police was aware of the decision, but said that the department has not received a formal notification yet.
According to Central Bank statistics, new vehicle registrations were up 60 percent to 223,842. New registrations have slowed somewhat, after the government virtually doubled import taxes last October, in a bid to curb the island�s fuel bill.
Vehicle category | New registration |
Motor cars | KA-KZ |
Motor lorries | LA-LU |
Fork lifts/heavy vehicle | LV |
Ambulances | LW |
Lorry-trailers/bowsers | LX |
Prime movers | LY |
Hearse | LZ |
Motor cycle | MA-MZ |
Motor coach | NA-NZ |
Dual purpose vehicles | PA-PY |
Invalid carriage | PZ |
Motor tricycle | QA-QX |
Three wheelers | QY-QZ |
Land vehicles (tractors) | RA-RR |
Earth moving vehicles | RS-RU |
Tractor- trailer/bowser | RV-RZ |
Two wheel tractor | SA-SZ |
No comments:
Post a Comment