More than 80,000 motorcycles are running without proper number plates due to delays in the tender process for selecting a new number plate supplier, Mawbima Newspaper reports.
A spokesperson said this list includes not only new motorcycles but also vehicles requiring number plates for other reasons such as provincial transfers and replacements for broken plates.
The printing of number plates was halted on April 28th following the termination of the existing tender agreement for number plate printing.
As a result, over 15,000 newly registered vehicles cannot be issued number plates.
Owners who have purchased new vehicles are facing severe inconvenience due to the suspension of number plate issuance for newly registered motor vehicles.
Although issuing number plates is mandatory when registering a new motor vehicle, the Department of Motor Traffic officially informed vehicle owners that this process has been suspended from April 28, 2025, due to the shortage. This was stated in a letter signed by Deputy Commissioner S.V. Wettasinghe.
