Front number plate for motorcycles now must

The Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) has made registration number plates mandatory on the front of motorcycles in addition to the rear, directing owners to install manually made plates following prescribed dimensions and designs by November 15.

In an urgent public notice issued on Friday, the authority said motorcycle owners must arrange the installation themselves within the deadline. Failure to comply may result in legal action.

According to the notice, the requirement is in line with the Road Transport Act 2018 and the Road Transport Rules 2022, which provide for approved, high-quality retro-reflective metal number plates with radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology at the rear of motorcycles. Registration numbers must now also be displayed on the front.

The BRTA has specified separate dimensions for front number plates based on motorcycle type.

For scooters, the plate must be 200 millimetres long and 100 millimetres wide, with letters and numerals at least 20 millimetres high.

For motorcycles other than scooters, the plate must measure 285 millimetres in length and 50 millimetres in width. The letters and numerals must also be at least 20 millimetres high.

The registration number on these motorcycles may be displayed in a single horizontal line, such as “Dhaka Metro-La-11-1229”.

The authority has also specified the materials and appearance of the plates. They must be made of stainless steel or aluminium, with a white background and black letters and numerals.

Decorative elements, additional patterns or other designs are prohibited to ensure compliance with the prescribed format, the notice said.