Picture retrieved from @HamadAlMajidi/Twitter
Dubai - RTA said that the viral image of one such plate was not officially sanctioned.
Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has denied issuing vehicle number plates that bear owners’ names.
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In a statement to Khaleej Times, the RTA said the viral image of one such plate was not officially sanctioned.
“We wish to clarify that (the) RTA hasn’t rolled out such a vehicle plate design that bears a person's name. We confirm that any new models of the plates are announced through the RTA’s official channels,” the authority added.
It all began when Twitter user @HamadAlMajidi shared an image of a Dubai number plate that featured ‘7AMAD’ instead of digits.
He suggested that authorities could roll out such number plates in Dubai. As the image went viral, Al Majidi clarified that the plate was a decorative piece that he had received from an American website over five years ago.
“The plate has nothing to do with the RTA at all,” he tweeted.
Some countries around the world allow vehicle owners to personalise their number plates with words instead of numbers. Such number plates, however, are not available in the UAE yet.
sahim@khaleejtimes.com
As Associate Editor, Sahim Salim helps tell the UAE story like no one else does - and leads a team of reporters that asks the questions to get news and headlines that matter.