BRTA orders front number plates on all motorcycles

The Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) has directed all motorcycle owners nationwide to install and display manual number plates at the front of their vehicles by November 15, warning that non-compliance will invite legal action.

In a recent public notice, the authority invoked the Road Transport Act 2018 and the Road Transport Rules 2022, which stipulate that motorcycles must display their registration numbers at both the front and the rear. Consequently, the BRTA has resolved to enforce the fitting of manual front plates in order to ensure adherence to the existing legal framework. The notice cited “Dhaka Metro-La-11-1229” as an illustrative example of the registration format to be displayed.

The notice also sets out precise specifications. Scooter-style motorcycles must carry front plates measuring 200 millimetres by 100 millimetres, whereas all other motorcycles must use plates of 285 by 50 millimetres. In both cases, characters and numerals must have a minimum height of 20 millimetres. Moreover, the plates must be fabricated from stainless steel or aluminium, with Bengali letters and numerals rendered in black, and decorative elements or designs are strictly prohibited.

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Owners have been instructed to ensure that their vehicles meet every requirement by the November 15 deadline. Failure to do so, the authority cautioned, could prompt legal proceedings against those concerned. Nevertheless, the notice did not detail the penalties that offenders might face, nor did it clarify how the rule would be enforced once the deadline lapses.