Gauteng gets new vehicle number plates

As it goes in South Africa, the government (whether provincial or national), always finds ways to make more money from its citizens. That is how it seems with the new number plate scheme.

The blue BB00BB GP plates are the standard issue plates. The black PB00BB GP plates are most likely for police services. The green HEITA GP is for personalized plates such as HOTROD GP. Finally, the red GB00BB GP plates are for government vehicles.

It is not that I am against new number plates, since Gauteng will run out of numbers by mid-2010 on its current BBB000 GP number scheme. Vehicles can keep their current numbers beyond that time, but they have to get those numbers re-stamped on the new metal plates. Even though the the new plates will be "equipped with a 2D barcode and a passive electronic chip," ostensibly for security and to stop falsification of plates, it still seems to be another money making scheme. It just would have been so much easier if only newly registered vehicles would be issued with these plates.