Dhaka:A proposal has been made to extend the deadline for fitting manual number plates on the front of motorcycles in Bangladesh from November 15 to December 31. The Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) has requested this extension, citing the practical difficulties associated with equipping such a large number of motorcycles within the originally stipulated timeframe.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the BRTA has highlighted in a consideration paper that the country has approximately 6.8 million registered motor vehicles, with motorcycles accounting for about five million or 74 percent of the total. Completing the installation of manual number plates on the front of so many motorcycles by the initial deadline has proven to be extremely challenging.
The BRTA had previously issued a public notice setting the deadline of November 15 for the installation and display of manual number plates on the front of motorcycles. The notice emphasized compliance with the Road Transport Act, 2018, and the Road Transport Rules, 2022, which mandate displaying the registration number on a high-quality retro-reflective metal plate with RFID on the rear of motorcycles, and now require a similar display on the front.
The specifications for the front plates are specific scooters must have plates measuring 200 millimetres in length and 100 millimetres in width, while other motorcycles must have plates 285 millimetres long and 50 millimetres wide. The plates must feature Bangla letters and numerals in black on a white background, with no decorative elements allowed. At the initial stage, motorcycle owners are being asked to fit these plates themselves, adhering to the specified conditions. Failure to comply by the deadline would result in legal action.
The proposed extension to December 31 is now under consideration, with ongoing discussions in the media and on social platforms reflecting the opinions and concerns of motorcycle owners.