A wide campaign to clear Cameroon’s roads of non-CEMAC number plates begins soon.

Since the institution of CEMAC number plates in the Central Africa Sub-region, car owners in Cameroon are yet to conform to the law. While some vehicle owner have obtained the CEMAC number plates, others still use the old ones while some drive around with vehicles carrying Chassi numbers (CH). The Minister of Transport, Robert Nkili is taking the bull by the horn in a bid to clear Cameroon’s roads of non-CEMAC Number Plates. This is why ensuring the use of CEMAC number plates in the country, is a priority to the Ministry of Transport this year. As such, the Minister of Transport, in a communiqué which dates back to March 1 this year, announced an imminent campaign which seeks to ensure that vehicles without the CEMAC number plates are not seen anywhere on Cameroon’s highway.

The Centre Regional Delegate of Transport, Jean Claude Voundi Nkana in a chat with CT yesterday said “We do not want to see vehicles which do not have CEMAC number plates by the end of April 2012 in Cameroon”. The campaign to begin soon will ensure that only vehicles with CEMAC number plates circulate in Cameroon. Jean Claude Voundi said eight control teams, composing of security agents and personnel of the Ministry of Transport will be placed at the major exits from the capital city as well as strategic areas within the town. All vehicles seen during the campaign without these plates will be impounded and kept at the administrative garage.

The Ministry of Transport has taken measures to ensure that those who already have their vehicle registration card obtain a number plate within 24 hours at FCFA 13,000. For those who do not have vehicle registration card, Jean Claude Voundi said measures have been taken to make sure they obtain their registration card and the CEMAC plates within ten days. However, a manufacturer of the number plates said a durable number plate can be produced only after five days. Reason why the manufacturer gives a five-day duration for his clients to obtain their plates.

In an unannounced traffic control carried out in the Mfoundi Division over the weekend, the third Assistant Senior Divisional Officer for Mfoundi, Pierre Christian Ateba said some 162 vehicles were impounded either because the owners do not have a CEMAC number plate, have not paid their insurance or have not carried out the road worthiness of their vehicle.