The KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) province is set to roll out a new vehicle licence numbering system from December 1st, 2023, which will replace the current system that uses three alphabets such as NRB, NPN and NPS. The new system will depict the province as ‘ZN’, followed by a combination of six digits and letters.
The provincial executive council announced the decision on Thursday, following a presentation by the Department of Transport on the proposed number plate system for the province. The council said the change was necessary as the current system had exhausted its numbers and was causing confusion and duplication.
The council also said the new system would have several benefits, such as:
- Creating a common sense of identity and pride for the province
- Assisting in the fight against crime and corruption by making it easier to track and identify vehicles
- Enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of the vehicle registration and licensing process
- Reducing the administrative and operational costs for the government and the motorists
- Aligning the province with the national and international standards and best practices
The council assured the motorists that the migration to the new system would not have an unnecessary financial burden on them and would consider the participation of the local manufacturers in the value chain. The council also urged the Transport MEC Sipho Hlomuka to fast-track the public consultations through the issuing of government gazettes.
The motorists will be given two years to migrate from the current system to the new system, which means they will have until December 1st, 2025 to change their number plates. The new system will cater for the registration of new vehicles, re-registration of vehicles to new owners, stolen vehicles that are recovered and re-licensed in the owner’s name, and vehicles that require duplicate number plates.
The new number plates will have a standard size and design, with a white background and black characters. They will also have a security hologram and a barcode to prevent tampering and cloning. The new number plates will cost R250 each, which is the same as the current number plates.
The new system will also introduce a new classification of vehicles, such as:
- ZN A: For private vehicles
- ZN B: For public transport vehicles
- ZN C: For commercial vehicles
- ZN D: For diplomatic vehicles
- ZN E: For emergency vehicles
- ZN F: For government vehicles
- ZN G: For trailers and caravans
- ZN H: For motorcycles
- ZN I: For personalised number plates
The new system will be implemented in phases, starting with the eThekwini Metro, followed by other districts and municipalities in the province. The Department of Transport said it was confident with the state of readiness for the rollout of the new system and that it had engaged with various stakeholders, such as the vehicle manufacturers, dealers, testing stations, licensing authorities and number plate manufacturers.
The department also said it would embark on an aggressive communication campaign to inform and educate the motorists and the public about the new system and the benefits thereof. The department urged the motorists to cooperate and comply with the new system and to report any irregularities or challenges they may encounter.
The new system will make KZN the fourth province in the country to adopt a new number plate system, following Gauteng, Western Cape and Mpumalanga. The new system is expected to improve the service delivery and the safety of the road users in the province.