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AfriForum today submitted an application in terms of the Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA) to the Gauteng Premier and the provincial Department of Roads and Transport, asking, among other things, how much the new Gauteng number plates will cost motorists. This follows the launch of a pilot project for the new number plates in the province by Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi last week.

AfiForum warns that this could easily turn into a very expensive project that will result in few tangible benefits. Apart from the external specifications of the number plates, little clarity has been given about the project. AfriForum is therefore asking authorities about the intended costs and the associated re-registration costs of these number plates; how long vehicle owners will have before they need to switch to the new number plates; and what research was used to base the decision to require number plates with additional safety features.

According to Louis Boshoff, Campaign Officer at AfriForum, Lesufi’s priorities can rightly be questioned. “Are the existing number plates really the problem that needs to be focused on right now? Centurion is full of sinkholes, Johannesburg is struggling without water and the substations in Pretoria are burning, but the Premier has decided it’s time for new number plates.”

Lesufi argues that the new number plates will play an important role in combating crime, but it is unclear whether this claim can be substantiated at all. AfriForum argues that the focus could instead be on improving law enforcement with regard to the current number plate system.

“Many Gauteng residents are of the opinion that there is nothing wrong with their current number plates, which is why they now want to know whether they will have to pay for new number plates that may not make any significant contribution to their own safety,” explains Boshoff.

AfriForum will consider further steps to oppose the implementation of the new number plate system if the questions raised are not answered to their satisfaction.

Issued by AfriForum