KATHMANDU: The government’s decision to make embossed number plates mandatory from mid-October for vehicle registration, ownership transfer, and renewal has triggered widespread criticism. Stakeholders are saying that the plan is being enforced without adequate preparation.
A meeting chaired by Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport Devendra Dahal, attended by provincial ministers and secretaries, took the decision on August 5. As per the decision, embossed number plate installation is mandatory for vehicle renewal, ownership transfer and registration from October 17.
Based on the decision, the Department of Transport Management (DoTM) issued a notice on August 19 directing vehicle owners to install embossed plates.
Since then, transport offices have been overwhelmed with crowds, while protests have escalated both online and on the streets. The hashtag campaign #NoEmbossedNumber has been trending on social media, activist groups such as Jaga Nepali have announced protests, and transport workers have demanded that the plates only be enforced after the necessary infrastructure is in place. Public transport federations have openly urged vehicle owners to boycott installation.
Facing mounting anger, the DoTM issued a clarification on Tuesday, stating that while embossed plates remain compulsory, vehicle owners would not be fined immediately if they failed to comply.
It is the duty of citizens to cooperate in plans and programs brought by the government. At the same time, the state has the responsibility to ensure services are delivered in a smooth, efficient and accessible manner. The current public outrage is the result of the government issuing orders without first ensuring the necessary manpower and infrastructure to provide such services.
MeroAuto explains six main reasons why the embossed number plate issue is drawing criticism from all quarters.
1. Lack of infrastructure and planning
Nepal has an estimated 5 million vehicles, but the government’s current contract only covers 2.5 million. Since 2016, just 90,000 vehicles have been fitted with embossed plates, leaving more than 2.4 million pending.
According to the department, embossed number plates can currently be installed through 21 offices nationwide. Except for a few, most of these offices lack the manpower to install more than 50 plates a day, with only some able to handle up to 250. This means that across the country, no more than 2,000 to 2,500 plates can be installed daily. At this pace, fewer than 700,000 plates could be installed in a year, and it would take at least three years to complete the process. There is neither adequate manpower nor assurance that citizens will be served efficiently. Yet, with the contractor’s deadline approaching, the government is once again resorting to coercive measures—an act that reflects irresponsibility and a lack of accountability.
Critics say the government should have prioritized new registrations and ownership transfers first, followed by renewals in phases—cars, public vehicles, two- and three-wheelers—rather than mandating all at once.
2. Questionable utility
Even though the plates are being fitted now, the necessary infrastructure to justify their use has not been developed.
The contractor is supposed to build 10 RFID gates across the country to monitor vehicles equipped with embossed plates. These were planned for Nagdhunga, Nagarjun, Pharping and Jagati inside the Kathmandu Valley, and for Itahari, Pathlaiya, Pokhara, Butwal, Kohalpur and Attariya outside the Valley. So far, RFID gates have been constructed only at Nagdhunga and Nagarjun, but they too are not operational. Work is underway in Pharping and Pathlaiya, while it has not even started in other locations. Without functioning RFID gates, embossed plates serve little purpose, as there is no way to track where vehicles enter or exit.
Similarly, traffic police require handheld RFID readers for vehicle checks. But so far, the department has provided only five, according to Deputy Superintendent of Police Keshar Neupane at the Kathmandu Valley Traffic Police Office. Currently, the Valley has 78 traffic units, which means at least 78 readers would be needed—one per unit. Nationwide, the requirement would be in the hundreds.
3. High cost
The plates cost Rs 2,500 for two-wheelers, Rs 2,900 for three-wheelers, Rs 3,200 for small vehicles and Rs 3,600 for heavy vehicles. The cost is way higher compared to neighboring countries. In India, for example, the cost ranges from 500-1,100 Indian rupees.
The government is facing criticism for purchasing the plates at a lower cost and selling them at a much higher rate. It bought two-wheeler plates from Decatur Tiger for $14.50 (Rs 2,036), three-wheeler plates for $17.50 (Rs 2,458), small vehicle plates for $17.70 (Rs 2,486), and large vehicle plates for $19 (Rs 2,668). The government has added an estimated 35% profit margin on this cost.
4. Concerns on Quality
While the DoTM claims that the embossed plates meet the required quality standards, vehicle owners have been reporting issues such as chips peeling off, numbers fading within a few years and plates breaking from even minor impacts.
Many vehicle owners say that they will be forced to pay hefty replacement fees if the newly installed plates are damaged. They added that the department should at least guarantee free replacement for a certain number of years. Such a provision, they say, would help build trust and acceptance of the plates.
5. Corruption allegations
The procurement contract with Decatur Tiger, worth over Rs 4.68 billion, has faced controversy since the beginning. There are allegations that the company was selected even though its bid was nearly Rs 1 billion higher than that of other competitors. Decatur secured the deal for Rs 4.68 billion (USD 43.78 million), of which more than Rs 900 million has already been paid.
The contract terms also appear skewed in favor of the company. The government has to pay compensation to the company if the contract is terminated. Instead of canceling the deal for repeated delays, the government has continued to extend the deadline
Against this backdrop, pushing forward with yet another controversial plan has fueled public suspicion that the project is driven more by corruption than by public interest
6. Language dispute
A deliberate attempt has been made to stir a language controversy over embossed number plates. In 2018, writ petitions were filed at the Supreme Court arguing that the use of English on the plates violated the Constitution and the Motor Vehicles and Transport Management Act. However, the Constitutional Bench of the Supreme Court dismissed the petitions in December 2019.
Despite the court’s ruling, the issue has been unnecessarily reignited. This time, the fault lies not with the government but with citizens who are unwilling to move beyond old habits. On one hand, we call ourselves global citizens, yet on the other, we resist changes that are standard worldwide.
In most countries, embossed plates are written in English precisely so that they can be easily understood universally. Some countries also allow their own languages, and it would certainly have been preferable if plates in Nepal carried Nepali text. But using English does not diminish national identity. After all, preserving the Devnagari script is not the responsibility of number plates alone—it is already used in official documents and is part of school curricula.
To revive a dispute already settled by the Supreme Court reflects extremist thinking and undermines the rule of law. Both citizens and the state must accept the court’s verdict, whether they agree with it or not.
