Supreme Court Issues Interim Order Against Using English on Embossed Vehicle Number Plates

Kathmandu. The Supreme Court has issued an interim order against the use of the English language on embossed number plates used for vehicles.

A joint bench of Justices Kumar Regmi and Mahesh Sharma Paudel issued the interim order prohibiting the use of the English language on the embossed number plates.

Advocate Ram Bahadur Raut Matridas had filed a writ petition naming the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, the Department of Transport Management, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Industry, Tourism and Transport of Lumbini Province, the Department of Transport Management, and Decatur Tiger Company Nepal as respondents.

Advocate Raut reacted that a positive message has been conveyed following the Supreme Court's interim order, calling it a victory for Nepalis. With the Supreme Court's order, the decision to implement only the English language, displacing the Devanagari script, will not come into immediate effect.

Previously, on Chaitra 22, 2079 BS, the government had decided to amend the law to allow the use of the Nepali language alongside English on embossed number plates.

The then Council of Ministers meeting had decided to amend the Vehicle and Transport Management Act 2049 BS to allow the use of the Nepali language on embossed number plates. Under this, Schedule-2 of the Act will be amended, implementing a policy allowing the use of the Nepali language along with English on the embossed number plates.