Final warning for KZN motorists to switch to the new number plates

TIME is running out for KwaZulu-Natal motorists who have not yet switched to the new number plate system, with November 30 set as the final deadline for migration.

Drivers who fail to comply will face fines, KwaZulu-Natal Transport MEC Siboniso Duma has warned.

The provincial Department of Transport introduced the new number plate system in December 2023, giving motorists a two-year window to make the change. In March 2024, the department began urging vehicle owners to voluntarily migrate, particularly those renewing their motor vehicle licence discs.

Speaking in an interview on Ukhozi FM yesterday, Duma reiterated that motorists who have not yet made the switch will be penalised. He appealed to those still using the old number plate system to act swiftly before the deadline.

“This is a project that, when it was launched, we said would take 24 months for all motorists to migrate so that we comply with other provinces that have already adopted the new number plate system. KwaZulu-Natal was the only province still using the old system, but when the new system was introduced, many welcomed it, with a few exceptions,” said Duma.

He added that the new system assists in curbing incidents of hijacking, and vehicle theft, particularly in large townships across KZN.

The updated number plate system phases out the old town-specific codes such as ND for Durban, NP for Pietermaritzburg, NPS for Port Shepstone and NKR for Richards Bay. Pinetown and Port Shepstone were among the first towns to exhaust their number combinations, as the three-letter arrangement only allows for a maximum of five digits. As a result, many motorists registering new vehicles in Pinetown had to switch to NU (Umhlathuzana, which includes Kloof, Hillcrest, New Germany, Pinetown, Mariannhill and Wyebank) and in Port Shepstone they had to migrate to NSC (covering towns along the South Coast).

Despite some initial resistance, many motorists have since welcomed the new system, saying it provides an added layer of security for drivers travelling outside their hometowns, as their origin cannot be easily identified. This, they say, reduces the risk of being targeted for road rage or hijacking.

SUNDAY TRIBUNE