Staff Reporter:
The government has amended the Road Transport Rules, 2022 to make installation of number plates and the display of registration numbers at the front of motorcycles mandatory.
On November 1, the Road Transport and Highways Division issued a notification to this end, which came into immediate effect.
The revised rules allow for adjustments to the design, dimensions, character height, and layout of the front number plates on motorcycles. This facilitates the implementation of necessary measures for setting up front number plates, taking into account the specific structure and design of each motorcycle.
The revised provisions allow for the registration number on the front of a motorcycle to be displayed either in the conventional format or in a single-line layout.
Furthermore, the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) has been empowered to determine the specifications for front number plates, ensuring they are consistent with the design and structure of the motorcycle.
Under the new provisions, the authority may, as necessary, specify the height of characters, the size of characters indicating the district or region, and the height of characters denoting the vehicle class on the front number plate.
Additionally, the authorities may define the spacing within the vertical section of the number plate, the gap between individual digits, and the length of the hyphen used between digits on the second line.
Also, for registration marks displayed on a single line, the regulations now allow for the use of hyphens of a specified length – placed after the characters denoting the district or region and those indicating the vehicle class.
In other words, alongside the conventional layout for front-mounted motorcycle number plates, there is now a legal provision to utilise alternative formats when necessary.
The amended regulations also incorporate the use of retro-reflective plates for the front of motorcycles. This facilitates the integration of technology designed to enhance the visibility and identification of number plates.
According to experts, front-mounted number plates play a crucial role in the identification and monitoring of motorcycles on the roads. As the number of motorcycles continues to rise – both in the capital and across cities and highways nationwide – the ability to identify these vehicles has become increasingly vital for enforcing traffic laws and maintaining road discipline.
Currently, the design and structural configuration of the front sections vary significantly across different motorcycle models. In some cases, it is difficult to install a standard-sized number plate; furthermore, applying a uniform size and layout to every model may not be practical.
Consequently, the provisions suggest that the regulations have been adjusted to allow for the determination of number plate size and layout in a manner that aligns with the specific structure of each motorcycle.
Apart from ensuring road safety, there is a growing need to integrate technology into traffic management. Initiatives such as the deployment of CCTV systems and automated number plate recognition (ANPR) technology – in the capital and other regions – could significantly assist in the identification of motorcycles via their front-installed plates.
The notification states that the amended provisions take effect immediately. Consequently, the BRTA can now take the necessary steps as per the amended regulations to determine the design and layout of front number plates for motorcycles.
An official at the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways said to restore discipline on the roads, it had become essential to bring motorcycles – along with other types of vehicles – under the purview of camera-based monitoring.
