E-bidding system for special registration numbers

PUTRAJAYA: The Road Transport Department (RTD) will implement an e-bidding system for vehicle owners to buy special registration numbers.

Transport Minister Anthony Loke said he expected the system to be implemented latest by January.

It would allow vehicle owners to bid for special plate numbers without having to be present at the RTD office.

“The online bidding is a way for the government to expand its coffers. I was told that last year, RTD managed to collect RM280 million from the sale of special plate numbers and RM137 million from the normal plate numbers,” he said after attending a briefing with RTD top brass.

Present were Transport Ministry’s secretary-general Datuk Seri Saripuddin Kasim and RTD director-general Datuk Shaharuddin Khalid.

Loke assured that the ministry did not intend to raise the price for normal vehicle registration numbers.

He said RTD was one of the biggest contributors to the government’s revenue last year, with RM4 billion from vehicle licences, road tax and vehicle number registrations.

On a provision that allowed the transport minister to give special vehicle numbers to non-governmental organisations, Loke said he had decided to put a stop to it with immediate effect.

He said the ministry would no longer approve any application from NGOs to sell special vehicle registration numbers within one year.

“The NGOs only have to pay RM1 million to RTD and they can sell special vehicle plate numbers from 1 to 9999. All proceeds would be kept by them.

“(Now), we want all proceeds made in the sale of special vehicle registration numbers to go to the government’s coffers.”

He said the highest bid for a special vehicle plate number was nearly RM1 million.