Multi Million Bid For UAE Personalised Reg Plate

he Sharjah Police Headquarters raised Dh25.57 million ($6,961,611) in a public auction of 55 distinguished number plates of category 3.

Number plate 3 recorded the highest bid in the public auction and was sold for Dh9 million ($2450313). Plate number 30 witnessed the highest number of bids before being sold for Dh3 million ($816771), while 44 recorded a winning bid of Dh2.15 million ($585352).

The 3 vehicle number plates (111, 303, 3333) that were allocated by Sharjah Police Headquarters to The Big Heart Foundation (TBHF), with the goal of supporting the foundation's global humanitarian projects, managed to raise Dh2.82 million. Plate 3333 raised Dh1.34 million ($364824), 111 got Dh1.2 million ($326708), and 303 racked up Dh460,000 ($125238).

The auction, organised by Emirates Auction, was held at Al Jawaher Reception and Convention Centre in Sharjah on Saturday night.

Major-General Saif Al Zari Al Shamsi, Commander-in-Chief of the Sharjah Police expressed his happiness at the amount that was raised for TBHF.

Mariam Al Hammadi, director of TBHF, lauded the public's response to the auction, during which Sharjah Police dedicated the complete proceeds from the sale of three plate numbers for TBHF's humanitarian work worldwide.

The birth of this kind of selfless humanism, she said, is the result of the vision and direction offered to us by Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, wife of His Highness Dr Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah. She is the chairperson of TBHF and UNHCR Eminent Advocate for Refugee Children.

Al Hammadi underlined that the initiative is the first fruit of TBHF's strategic collaboration with the Sharjah Police. She specified that the funds raised through this auction will go into supporting and empowering children and the youth in regions affected by turmoil and disasters.

The development assumes significance because even after over a decade of the government making HSRP mandatory, it is yet to be implemented in many states.

"The security licence plate including third registration mark, wherever necessary, shall be supplied by vehicle manufacturers along with all the vehicles manufactured on or after 1st day of January, 2019, and their dealers will place a mark of registration on such plates and affix them on the automobiles," Ministry of Road Transport and Highways said in a draft notification.

It also said that dealers of vehicle manufacturers may also affix such plates, supplied by the vehicle manufacturers, on old vehicle after placing the registration mark.

The ministry said it proposes to make amendments in the Central Motor Vehicle Rules with regard to installation of HSRPs on motor vehicles and has invited comments from the general public and stakeholders by May 10.

The draft notification intends to amend the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, in exercise of the powers conferred by section 10 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988.

Earlier this month, Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari had told that vehicles will soon come fitted with number plates and the cost will be included in the four-wheelers' price.

At present, a vehicle licence plate - which is attached to vehicles bearing its official registration number, commonly known as "a number plate" - is procured by various states separately from designated agencies.

"Now, manufacturers will fit the plates and embossing will be done later through machine," Gadkari has said, adding that the prices for number plates procured by states ranged from Rs 800 to Rs 40,000.

At present, the licence plate number is issued by the district-level Regional Transport Office (RTO) of the respective states.

Gadkari has said that consumers will benefit from the move and and the registration or number plate will have 15 years' guarantee.

The move is also aimed at ending the monopoly of only a few HSRP manufacturers at present besides providing security to the vehicles as they have in-built security features like a self-destructive sticker with engine and chassis number of the car, which cannot be tampered with.

Under the HSRP, a chromium-based hologram is applied by hot stamping on the top left corner of the number plates both at the front and back besides laser-branding of a permanent identification number with a minimum of 10 digits into the reflective sheeting on the bottom left of the registration plate, an official said.

A self-destructive, chromium-based hologram sticker will also be affixed on the inner side of the vehicle's windshield which will have the details of registering authority, registration number, laser-branded permanent number, engine number and chassis number making the vehicle more secured from theft, the official added.