Mauritius: Specifications for New Registration Plates of Motor Vehicles

NATIONAL TRANSPORT AUTHORITY

COMMUNIQUÉ

Specifications for New Registration Plates of Motor Vehicles

1. The Authority wishes to inform suppliers of registration plates (suppliers) as well as owners of vehicles (owners) that many of the new plates and registration marks being displayed on motor vehicles do not comply with regulations 57, 58, 59 and 60 of the Road Traffic (Construction and Use of Vehicles) Regulations 2010 which set out the relevant specifications.

2. Suppliers/owners are reminded that the new plates should –

(a) be made of retro-reflective material and should comply with the requirements of –

(i) the British Standard BS AU 145d; or

(ii) any other relevant standard or specifications recognised for use in an EEA State and which, when in use, offers a performance equivalent to that offered by a plate complying with the British Standard;

(b) not be covered with any reflex-reflecting material or be treated in such a way that the characters of the registration mark become, or are caused to act as, retro reflective characters.

3. The British Standard sets out the physical characteristics of the registration plate. This includes visibility, strength and reflectivity. It also requires each registration plate to be permanently and legibly marked with the following information:

(a) The British Standard number (BS AU 145d).

(b) The name, trademark or other means of identification of the manufacturer or component supplier (the one that made the plate).

(c) There shall be no other markings or material contained on the registration plate.

Display of Registration Marks on New Registration Plates

4. Suppliers/owners are also reminded that the size and spacing of every character of a registration mark appearing on a registration plate are set out in regulation 58 while a registration mark must be laid on a registration plate in conformity with regulation 59 of the above regulations.

Fixing of Registration Plates on Motor Vehicles

5. Owners are informed that the fixing of registration plates on a motor vehicle should be as follows -

(a) Where a vehicle has been provided with a space for the fixing of a registration plate, the plate

shall be fixed in that space.

(b) Where a space is not provided, the registration plate shall be fixed vertically or, where that is not reasonably practicable, in a position as close to the vertical as is reasonably practical at the

front and rear of every motor vehicle in such manner that the characters of the registration mark shall, at all times, be visible from the front or the rear of the motor vehicle.

6. A registration plate shall be fixed at a height of not more than 1.5 metres from ground level.

Offence

7. Suppliers/owners are informed that any failure to comply with the requirements of the above

regulations constitutes an offence and may, on conviction, be liable to a fine not exceeding Rs10,000.

Downloading of the appropriate regulations

8. The regulations referred to in paragraph 1 have been published under “Sub-Part L Registration Marks and Plates” of the Road Traffic (Construction and Use of Vehicles) Regulations 2010 in Government Notice No.53 of 2010 as subsequently amended by Government Notice No. 170 of 2010 and may be downloaded from the NTA website.