By Alicia Mmashakana
Gauteng premier Panyaza Lesufi and roads and transport MEC Kedibone Diale-Tlabela have formally introduced an innovative, tamper-resistant provincial number plate pilot system in Johannesburg.
“We are letting go of the old ways of fighting crime and introducing new ideas in this fight. With the help of CSIR (Council for Scientific and Industrial Research), we are now deploying a digital system that ensures we able to account for every vehicle on our public roads,” Lesufi told reporters.
“Those who are using fraudulent or duplicate number plates will have no space or time to drive on our roads.”
He said the number plate system represented a leap forward as it was a secure, traceable and smart solution, incorporating tamper-evident decals, forensic QR codes and a fully digitised back-end portal.
The enhancements are designed to combat vehicle theft, fraud and cloning, while improving road safety and empowering traffic law enforcement across the province.
The system will be piloted using g-fleet vehicles affixed with the technologically advanced new number plates as part of the six-month stress testing project before a provincial rollout.
In addition to enabling licence plate tracking throughout the value chain, from manufacturer to vehicle owner, the system is expected to significantly increase the legitimacy of the plates.
It also aims to tackle persistent issues with the law enforcement and the vehicle registration framework, including insufficient data traceability, cloned or fraudulent licence plates and incompatibility with systems of the Southern African Development Community.
Lesufi described the licence plates as a high calibre weapon in the fight against criminality and restoring order.
“We are ready to fight fire by fire. We are engaging with law-enforcement agencies to look at ways on concentrating efforts on those that are breaking the laws of the province.
“Through this launch, we are demonstrating that we are going to win this fight, that is how we are going to restore order,” Lesufi said.
During the launch, Diale-Tlabela said the smart number plates were an important pillar in the broader Provincial Integrated Crime Prevention Strategy.
Meanwhile, to enhance traffic law enforcement, the Gauteng government has welcomed 96 officers from the Road Traffic Management Corporation.
“As Gauteng, we are proud to lead the nation in smart, secure and sustainable transport reform. Together, let us move forward towards safer roads, smarter systems, and a stronger province,” Lesufi said.
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