Motorists warned against illegal vehicle vanity plate scams in KZN

THE KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport and Human Settlements has uncovered a racket on social media where personalised licence plates are being sold at up to four times more than the official price.

- NTOMBIZODWA DLAMINI

Vehicle owners and motorists have been warned that illegally purchased number plates will be cancelled.

Siboniso Duma, MEC for the department, announced the crackdown on the resale of vanity licence numbers, also known as personalised number plates, warning motorists that it is illegal and that licence plates bought on social media for inflated prices will be cancelled.

He said the department's Motor Transport Services team on Thursday had uncovered an underground racket where personalised licence numbers were being sold on social media platforms for between R5 000 and R10000. The price, set exclsively by the national Minister of Transport, is R2250.

"Unsuspecting motorists are being misled into paying exorbitant prices for something that is strictly regulated," Duma said. "This is illegal."

Under the National Road Traffic Act, Regulation 28, only the MEC for Transport was empowered to establish a personalised licence number system in the province.