The Cabinet-appointed Procurement Committee formally opened bids last week to enable the clearance of the long-running backlog of vehicle number plates, Commissioner General of the Department of Motor Traffic (DMT), Kamal Amarasinghe, said.
According to the Sunday Observer, Kamal Amarasinghe said the Cabinet-appointed Procurement Committee is expected to review supplier bids, with the Ministry of Transport expected to approve the successful supplier shortly.
Following the finalisation of bids, the DMT will issue official and tamper-proof number plates to all vehicles within two to three months, he said.
“We’re carefully assessing each bid against technical and security standards, cost efficiency, delivery capability, and supplier reliability. This thorough process is what will finally allow the Department to meet the needs of vehicle owners across the country,” Kamal Amarasinghe stated.
He further said that at present, over 15,000 motor cars and vans, and over 80,000 motorcycles, that were imported and registered after the import ban on personal vehicles was lifted in February this year, await official plates.
Revealing that temporary printed letters or handwritten numbers have been issued due to the shortage, the DMT Commissioner General said the police have been instructed to treat them as valid to prevent any legal challenges.
“The DMT had kept the Inspector General of Police, District Secretaries, and Provincial authorities fully informed in this regard. However, the Police will check vehicles with red garage plates, which can only be used for seven days and only within the province where the owner resides,” Kamal Amarasinghe added. (Newswire)