Questions over Gauteng’s “self-destructing” number plates

The Gauteng Provincial Government’s (GPG’s) much-delayed “tamper-proof” vehicle licence plates could be a great tool for fighting crime.

However, questions remain about how much the plates will cost motorists, particularly considering that they will have expiry dates and could be available from fewer manufacturers than current plates.

According to Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi, all vehicle owners in the province will be required to replace their plates with new ones.

“We are starting afresh, all of us; every person that has a car must re-register and get a new registration number that cannot be copied and is reliable so that we know what is happening in our province,” Lesufi previously said.

The province originally planned to introduce the new plates by the end of 2023, but they have been repeatedly delayed.

Lesufi subsequently told eNCA the plates would be unveiled on 19 February 2024, which never happened.

In his 2024 State of Province Address, the Premier announced the new launch date would be April 2024, another missed target.

The national Department of Transport finally gazetted a notice in mid-November granting permission to the province’s fleet manager to use the plates.

The new plates are intended to combat fraudulent duplication, a tactic the GPG says is used in over 80% of crimes facilitated with a vehicle.

By using falsified or cloned plates linked to innocent parties, criminals make it more difficult for law enforcement to track them down.

The Gauteng government has yet to confirm which company will be supplying the plates or plate design equipment or what they will cost.

MyBroadband asked the province for this information, but it had not responded by the time of publication.

However, some of the technical details about the plates included in the gazette provide clues as to where the plates and their supporting technology could be sourced.

According to the gazette, the new licence plates will feature the South African flag, the “ZA” United Nations country code, and a QR barcode on the left side of a vertical line.

Right of the line will the be vehicle’s registration number. If non-personalised, it will remain in the same alphanumeric format currently used in the province.

The QR code will be linked to a cloud-based database with vehicle owner information, allowing law enforcement to verify whether the driver also owns the car, has permission to use it, or if it has been stolen.

Beneath the barcode will be a decal that will “self-destruct” if an attempt is made to remove the plate.

The decal will consist of at least nine numbers and letters to identify the car and the expiry date of the number plate.

German firm’s solution

MyBroadband searched online for companies providing vehicle licence plates with “self-destructing” features like the one described in the gazette.

The solution we could find was made by the German company Tönnjes (also known as Toennjes), called the IDePLATE.

Dubbed a “high-tech alternative to the conventional licence plate,” the aluminium plate can be offered with a seal that shows visible destruction with any attempt to remove the plate.

It also features a built-in RFID chip that can store a unique, multi-encrypted identification licence.

“This is a passive, contactless chip that is also used, for example, in debit (EC) cards or identity cards,” Tönnjes explained.

“If a vehicle is detected by an authorised reader (mobile or stationary), it recognises the identification license on the chip.”

“The police or authorities can then compare this with the central database using the IDeTRUST middleware.”

“The RFID is an integral part of the aluminium license plate and cannot be removed or tampered with without visible damage or without compromising its intended functionality.”

By including a readable RFID chip in the plate, visual recognition is no longer the only means of identification.

The system will support detection when and where a particular vehicle passes through a toll gate or border control, without a camera having to scan the plate.

Making the plates even more resistant to theft or swapping are special licence plate holders or one-way screws.

The big price question

It should be emphasised that it is not confirmed whether Tönnjes’ plate design is the one that the GPG has chosen.

However, it was also noteworthy that Tönnjes owns Uniplate, the largest vehicle number plate company in South Africa.

On its website, Uniplate said its Pretoria factory is capable of producing plates that incorporate QR coding and RFID in its licence plates, among other technologies.

While the advanced security features could certainly be a welcome tool in combating crime, one big question remains unanswered — how much will these new plates cost?

The province has not yet revealed prices, but the Automobile Association of South Africa and Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse previously expressed concern about this.

The pricing of current legal licence plates is typically around R160 to R200 but can vary greatly depending on the supplier.

Manufacturers of the new plates are also required to register to be eligible to make and sell them. This is to further aid anti-forgery efforts, according to the GPG.

Given that fewer plate makers will likely be able to meet the new upgraded requirements, the choice of providers could be limited, resulting in less pricing competition.

In addition to paying for the new plates, all Gauteng motorists will have to pay a new vehicle registration number fee.

In addition, the number plates are set to expire every five years, whereas current plates are valid until a car is registered by a new owner.