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Cape Town - On Wednesday, Wheels24 reported that South Africa could receive new vehicle number plates in 2017, according to the Department of Transport.
News of the new number plates first came to light in 2015 when the Department of Transport sent out a notice informing South African motorists of its intended plan of action. The new plates, says the department, will have to be renewed every five years.
READ: PICS - SA drivers to sport new licence plates
Wheels24's readers share their views:
Kevin Lundall: Absolutely beautiful and I like the flag (shows to the world I love my freedom. I love my South Africa) Patriotism :)
Shaffie Mohammed: Will we have to repay for the plates when they are found at scrap-metal dealers.
Tom Kallis: I don't think they're that bad, but what is it going to cost to renew? Another money making scheme? I have just bought a new vehicle and will need to get number plates. Can I get the new ones now or can I trade them in when the new ones are available?
Ida Soekoe: This is just another money making scheme. Why is this the first time the general public hears about it? And who gets the tender to manufacture the new number plates? And for goodness sake, what is wrong with the current number plates?
Ian Adcock: Another "e-toll" scam! Completely unnecessary!
Mark Hitan: I personally think its just another way to make more money off the public. Why is it necessary to change them again and then every five years there after.
Martin Stallwood: The new number plates to be released in 2017 just sounds like a new method of taxation. Also the requirement of the SABS mark is just to prop up a dysfunctional organisation.Their mark does not hold the weight it used to.
Henry du Bois: It looks like someone new will become a tenderpreneur millionaire next year - another ANC connected comrade to become rich at the expense of the increasingly poor South African motorist.
READ: 'It’s not a done deal' - JPSA responds to new SA number plates
Denys Botes: I am all for change, but I cannot stand any type of opportunistic corruption. What is the reason for renewing the number plate every five years.
Does this mean the car license is valid for five years as well? And what will this cost? By adding a Barcode etc. will again allow for corruption at the highest level, as surely this must go out to tender as to who will be responsible for creating this component!
Maarten Kruger: This is like with firearms renewal. What happens if your financial situation changes and you do not have money to buy new plates. Why should these be renewed every 5 years? What is the reason for this? Is someone getting a kickback here or is there a reason for this renewal every five years?
Arthur Chapman: Section 3, Amendment of Regulation 27, Item 5(c) refers to...? Why does the Zulu King get priority but no one else? Are the Zulus the royal tribe in South Africa? Perhaps you want to ask the Dept of Transport what the special treatment is all about.
What do you think of the proposed number plates for SA vehicles? Email us your thoughts.
Conradt Stoltz: Just a new bloody money making racket! Unnecessary and certainly unwanted. These idiots should stop focussing on ways the fill there bottomless pockets and concentrate on REAL issues. They can paint the plates polka dot and make it whistle "Kumbaya", I'll still be totally against.
Fathima Khan: This is just a waste of time and money. The hijackers and thieves will still find a way out. It's the innocent and law abiding citisens that suffer the costs.
Tom von Bratt: I still think that the towns in which the plate was issued should be displayed like CBP for Middleburg, Northen Cape or CEL for Noupoort or OB for Mangaung etc. They took a lot of games and guesswork out of it when they started with the new names. Thankfully the Western Cape stuck to their guns! I also think a lot of money was made and squandered for the new system and now they are back for a second bite at the cherry. It worked for 50 years under the old sysytem. Why change it except for more income for the ANC stalwarts who benefit from it.
Ierefaan Batchelor: Who is going to fund the number plates and who will benefit financially? More than likely the the South African public will be stuck footing the bill. With e-tolls, annual license fees and rising cost of living it does not make sense.
Simon Pethick: ow on earth does this benefit South African Citizens and Motorists. It will only become another Money Spinner for License Plate Manufacturers. COLOUR Coding of License Plates is not what is required but rather better and more effective traffic control and regulating. What a waste of time and resources which could be better applied.
Jurie Prinsloo: A way of milking the nation - "gimme some more" without receiving any value in return. Government should not try and sell this as crime prevention as it would be an insult.
Ozayr Ismail: For those of us that have specific license plates, ie ND 123 for example, what happens to these plates? We do hold a log book for these number plates.
Vusumuzi Nhlapo: What makes me sick is this won't benefit the people of S.A. with nothing. It is a way of giving one of their friends tenders to make millions and enrich themselves and their families. First a lot of people are unemployed and they are expected to renew their drivers licence every 5 years. Secondly must pay etolls thirdly they introduce datadot. Now new number is this going to continue until when. For the poor unemployed people of South Africa must start burning things to be heard this is really unfair.
Simphiwe Mdikane: I always wondered why don't other provinces lime the WC and KZN have the same plates that reflect the province. On that front, I think it's a good idea for all provinces to be standard.
As for renewing or changing those that already reflect the province, what for? Why must they renew when you renew the car license every year? And why must the province be duplicated on the plate?
Just standardise for every province and change them so that those buying plates for the first time or replacing get the new ones and stop this renewing nonsense. Now that they are loosing scamming people on tolls they come up with something new. Scoundrels!
Henry Edwards: I really don't mind the new number plates. It is generally following the same trend as many other countries across the globe. Some say it will be another money making ploy, and I agree with it, provided that in some way you will be compensated through your vehicle licence. I will not hold my breath.
What I do hope for is that the authorities will not require yet again for a motorcycle, at a fraction of the size of a motor vehicle, to carry the same monstrosity as a car. In the US bikes carry a smaller sized number plate. It just does not make any sense.
Furthermore the fines system on number plates is erratic at best. No number plate carries a R100 admission of guilt fine whilst displaying an aesthetically pleasing number plate (smaller but legible) carries a R350 admission of guilt fine. Most take their chances to ride without with the lower penalty.
Anthony Briggs: The new number plates seem like a complete waste of money. What is wrong with the current number plates. I expect this is another case of introducing new legislation to solve a problem that enforcement of the current legislation could achieve. Think of the waste and impact on the environment, for example, all of the old number plates will end up in landfill or need to be recycled. The only positive I can imagine is job creation but the cynic in me suggests you follow the money. Who stands to make money out of the sales of the new number plates? Who will get the contracts to replace the number plates on all of the government vehicles?
Pauluse Maloke: The new number plates will be good but my concern is this renewal after every five years, it means everything in this government is renewable, I.D card, driver's license, disc, and now number plates? We are dead.
Gary Bloom: I think that the new licence plates are overall a good idea, but as with everything that our government thinks out, the system itself is flawed and have to ask the following?
1 Why do the plates have to be replaced every 5 years?
2 What type of control is being used to check the people that issue the plates?
3 If you can’t even control the current licence plates, why is this going to be any different?
Gerald Ongeri: This is a waste of resources. There are enough regulations in place to stop car theft. Now the motorists we have to fork more cash to obtain them. The licence discs are so expensive already now we have to buy and renew number plates. This is a burden indeed. This is not necessary!
Linda Loots: I think this is ridiculous, as it is we pay high food prices, extremely high petrol prices, e-tolls, toll-gates and vehicle license fees, services on your vehicles, new tires, and now every 5 years a renewed number plate? Please in that case make every South African get paid according to the position they work in – at this stage no ordinary citizen can afford all these new strategies to get more and more money out of the ordinary person who would just like to get to his/her workplace and back home and be able to pay your dues every month end??
Shawn B Hopkins: Job creation. The simplified look is most certainly keeping up with branding trends, but then I don't think that's the motivation. I do like the SA flag on it. Imagine they took the whole provincial thing out of the plate. I wonder if people would become more tolerant of driving cultures in RSA.