PUBLIC Works and Transport Minister Matjato Moteane yesterday said the government had failed to pay companies that issue number plates triggering a crisis for motorists around the country.
“It is not fair that people form companies that issue number plates but never get paid for their services,” Moteane said.
“The people are struggling to have number plates because the supplying companies are waiting to be paid,” he said.
“We have paid all the suppliers and we are only left with one.”
Moteane said the ministry will soon make a recommendation to the management that a number plate fee be split between the ministry and the awarding company.
For a fair deal, the minister believes that a M400 number plate fee has to be split so that his ministry takes M50 while the awarding company takes M350.
Moteane said about 100 number plates could be issued in Mohale’s Hoek alone per day if the service providers are paid on time.
He said his ministry could issue about 300 number plates a day in all three facilities in Mohale’s Hoek, Maseru, and Leribe “if all the three departments printing number plates could work effectively and efficiently”.
“If things are done well all three points issuing the number plates in the country could produce 100 number plates a day, translating into 300 number plates a day,” he said.
“We are hoping to end poor service delivery at (the Department of) Traffic.”
The minister also blamed corruption for delays in issuing number plates. He said they had even engaged investigators to visit the Ha-Foso Testing Station in a bid to clamp down on corruption.
“Because of bad service delivery, people end up paying for the services,” he said.
Moteane’s words come after an uproar from taxi operators who have been accusing the ministry of dereliction of duty after it failed to issue number plates for a year.
They complain that the lack of number plates could increase vehicle theft as the vehicles would not be easy to identify.
Nkheli Liphoto