DOHA: Owners of cars with special number plates rue the new format diminishes the value of the plates, a local Arabic daily has reported.
The licence plates have been changed from their original format, which contained the plate numbers in both English and Arabic, to the European model so the numbers could be clearly seen from a distance.
But for special number license plates owner like Masrod Farhood Al Rayes the new format does not look attractive and diminishes the value of the plate.
“I bought my special number plate for QR130,000 but after changing it to new format the price had been reduced to QR90,000,” he told Al Raya, adding he intentionally waited till the deadline to have his licence plate changed to the new one.
“I kept it till the deadline because of its beauty. Actually I didn’t like to change it but it’s the law,” he said
Ibrahim Istiqar, another special licence plate owner was of the same view saying the new format does not look attractive.
“That’s why I have deferred replacement of the plate for a long time,” he said, adding people have different opinions on the issue.
With the Traffic Department’s decision to set tomorrow as the deadline for changing licence plates, workshops in Duhail and Madinat Khalifa witnessed huge rush on the last week of this month.
On normal days the workshops would replace 150 to 200 plates, but last Tuesday the number rose to 400.
Most of those who came late changing their licence plates went out of the country or the cars were in the workshop for maintenance or have special licence plates, many of whom are appealing to the Traffic Department to extend the deadline for one more week.
The Peninsula
