Transport minister Gumbo clarifies on lost vehicle plates replacements

Transport and Infrastructural Development  Minister Jorum Gumbo has clarified the issue and reasons why government want those who have lost either or all of their vehicle number plates should re- apply for the new ones saying it might be possible for the lost plates to fall on unclean hands who might abuse them.

This was after several motorists complained that they were incurring a lot of unnecessary cost in re- applying for the new plates instead of being given the plates they had before they were lost.

"The new vehicle registration number plate was introduced on the 1st March, 2005. Before its adoption, wide consultations were made and to date, we remain satisfied that the new arrangement has largely lived up to our original expectations," Gumbo said.

"Since March 2005, if a registration number plate for a fully licenced vehicle is either lost or damaged, the vehicle registered honour is expected to make a formal report to a nearest police station before submitting an application for a replacement of vehicle registration documents. A formal police report should accompany such an application."

He said the vehicle's registration book and a surviving number plate should be surrendered to the registering office as part of the application requirements for a replacement set of vehicle documents.

"To conclude the said transaction in the case of a motor vehicle, a fee of US$160 is payable, while for a trailer or a motor cycle, the registered honour pays US$140. The vehicle concerned will then be issued with a new set of vehicle registration plates and book depicting a completely new registration mark and number than what was allocated before the loss or damage of the original number plate," he said.

 "Thereafter, if the concerned vehicle still has a valid licence, the motorist armed with a new vehicle registration book may approach any vehicle registration licencing office with a request for a replacement licence disk bearing the vehicle's new registration number."

Gumbo said the logic is that once a specific number plate has been declared lost, it has already been compromised in that it may be abused if it gets into the wrong hands hence, issuance of replacement number plates with the same registration number is considered as unnecessary risk.

"Before the introduction of the new number plates, some motorists were infamous for holding number plates in a bid to run several vehicles on the same registration number. Such motorists would mislead authorities that their vehicles front or rear number plate got lost. They would then be given plates bearing the same number as the reportedly lost ones," he said.

"Before long, they would be holding two or more sets of number plates with the same registration number. One for a properly registered vehicle and the rest for improperly registered vehicles. This tendency therefore, allowed for not only unintended duplication of registration numbers, but the use of unregistered vehicles while displacing clone number plates on our public roads. It was therefore possible to have three or more vehicles with the same number plates which create security concerns."

The minister said the current policy of discarding continued use of a registration number whose number plate is declared lost by the registered honour is meant to effectively prevent previous challenges of having more than one vehicle running on public roads on the same registration number as a result of misrepresentations by dishonest motorists.

"I must however, add that my Ministry is currently reviewing the cost of the number plates with a view to making it more affordable," he said.