KATHMANDU, Aug 27: The government has turned lenient in enforcement of the embossed number plates in vehicles, bowing down to the heavy criticisms from people from various fronts.
The government had decided to make embossed number plates mandatory for all registered vehicles starting September 17. Embossed number plates are machine-readable and are considered more secure and tamper-proof compared to traditional plates. The government has been asserting that the move is intended to digitize and streamline vehicle records, ensuring effective monitoring and regulation.
Earlier, through a public notice, the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport (MoPIT) had directed that the vehicle registration, ownership transfer and renewal carried out by transport offices under all provincial governments must include the installation of embossed number plates from the given date.
However, the government decision has invited heavy criticisms from the public, mainly due to the clumsy procedures and high cost of installation of the new types of registration of such number plates.
Will embossed number plates be installed to 2,400,000 vehicles...
The government’s plan to enforce embossed number plates has sparked widespread backlash over high costs and transparency concerns. Vehicle owners argue that the plates, priced at up to Rs 3,600 compared to just Rs 100 for traditional ones, place an unnecessary burden on the public. They also point out that similar plates can be installed in neighbouring India for as little as IRs 300.
Years after the project began, only a fraction of plates have been distributed, with transport offices overwhelmed and critical systems like RFID gates and data centers still incomplete. Users also report that plates fall off easily, raising questions about quality and durability. Critics further object to the use of English instead of Nepali script and point to controversy over the contract, awarded to firms with questionable track records. Privacy fears add to the discontent, as RFID chips allow vehicle tracking in a country without strong data protection laws.
Embossed number plates are particularly troublesome for fuel tankers as they have to travel across the border to India where they need to acquire explosive handling certificates for hazardous goods.
Bishwo Prasad Aryal, a petroleum entrepreneur, told Republica that they need to apply for the explosive transport permit again from the Indian authority if the embossed number plate is installed on the petroleum tankers. “The overall process might take around 45 days, while an additional cost of Rs 100,000 per tanker is incurred,” writes Aryal in a social media.
Considering the practical issues, the MoPIT has wiped out the rules of cash penalty against those not abiding with its decision.
“The government has decided to gradually install embossed number plates on all government, private, and public vehicles. However, there is a misconception that vehicles without these plates after September 17 will face immediate fines or action. No penalties will be imposed immediately,” the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport clarified in a statement on Tuesday.
In addition, the government has toned down by saying that the vehicle owners can install the embossed number plates at any time. "Vehicle owners are requested to visit the transport office where they registered the vehicles at a time convenient for them and spontaneously install the embossed number plate to assist in the digitalization process."
Although the government had initially introduced embossed number plates in 2021 with plans to make them mandatory, it faced significant pushback in implementation. In response to public resistance and confusion, the government had temporarily scaled back the directive, limiting it to only newly registered or transferred vehicles.
The government has been facing criticism over the issue also due to the possible irregularities involved in the contracting process of the embossed number plates. The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) had even initiated an inquiry and has asked for payment details on the suspicion of financial irregularities amounting to billions of rupees in connection with the embossed number plate contract.
The anti-graft body suspects that more than half of the Rs 4.79 billion contract was handled irregularly.
On May 13, 2016, the government signed a contract with 'Decatur Tiger IT' company for the installation of embossed number plates on 2.5 million vehicles within 60 months (until June 1, 2021). The agreement was made for a total of Rs 4.778 billion (USD 4,378,700), under the BOOT model.
