The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) has revealed it could soon start auctioning vehicle number plates to generate revenue from high-demand registration numbers.

🇰🇪 Breaking It Down

Speaking during an interview on NTV ’s Fixing the Nation on Tuesday, June 30, NTSA Director General Nashon Kondiwa said the authority is exploring the possibility after identifying number plates as another avenue for raising operational funds.

Kondiwa said some motorists are willing to pay significantly more for specific registration numbers, making auctions a viable source of revenue for the authority.

“Right now, we are actually exploring the possibility of auctioning number plates. There are so many people who are excited about certain numbers that we can easily make a lot more money,” he said.

📌 What You Need to Know

His remarks were in response to concerns that the recent increase in motor vehicle inspection fees to Ksh2,000 was an indirect attempt to reintroduce the controversial 2.5 per cent motor vehicle tax that had been proposed in the Finance Bill 2024 before being dropped following public opposition.

Kondiwa dismissed the claims, arguing that auctioning premium number plates could earn the government more money than what the higher inspection costs would generate.

The Director General explained that NTSA’s goal is to remain financially sustainable by ensuring fees reflect the cost of resources used for delivering services.

“As an authority, we need to be sustainable, so I can’t say we don’t want to make money. But there are better ways of making money as a registrar of motor vehicles,” he said.

The development comes amid growing public interest in acquiring unique or memorable registration numbers, with many Kenyans seeking ways to reserve specific combinations before they are officially released.

Under the current system, ordinary vehicle registration numbers are issued alphabetically and sequentially, so motorists cannot reserve future combinations before a series is activated.

📰 Source: Kenyans.co.ke