"A rose by any other name would smell just as sweet!" said the great Bard of Avon. With this we can put to rest the argument about the difference between a number-plate and a licence-plate. It’s the same thing.

The world’s first number-plate was introduced in 1893 in Paris. The New York State in the USA introduced it in 1901 and the UK in 1903. Originally, the number-plate had the owner’s initials and a serial number. This way the authorities knew how many cars were on the road. In England, the King and the Queen do not have regular number-plates. In India, too, the President, Vice-president and Governors of states need no number. They display the Ashoka Lion on a red background.

However, I must confess that I am unable to tell the difference between a windscreen and windshield. It depends on which side of the Atlantic you are on. Each country has its own nomenclature and we are talking about the same thing. So the number-plate and the licence-plate are the same. But in days to come, it is the colour that is going to be important.

For almost a century, we have had white letters and numbers on a black background for private vehicles. For commercial vehicles, taxis, three-wheelers, trucks and buses, it was the reverse: black letters and numbers on a white background.

And now we are going in for a change. For private vehicles, it has to be black on white, the opposite of all these years; and for commercial vehicles, it has to be black letters on a yellow background. The writing in black is the common factor and the background colour identifies your status. White for private vehicles, yellow for commercial vehicles. Maybe there is a reason or logic somewhere for this change. But the police, R.T.O and other officials, when spoken to, didn’t have a clue as to how this transformation came about. It’s the new law, they say, and they will enforce it.

That’s the law now, and it comes into force from June 30, which is a Sunday. So make sure you have got your act together by June 29. The challaning will begin from Monday, July 1.

The law also says that the plate must be metallic with the writing painted on it. The only exception the police make is to allow reflective tape for the writing. This was possible when the background was black. White reflective tape for lettering was an added safety measure because the headlights would spot the reflective tape and the number from a distance on a car parked on a dark road. No other material like plastic, fibre glass or brass is allowed.

It is going to be a massive exercise for the whole country to change over to new colours. The plates need to be re-sprayed, then the writing will have to be applied in black paint. It spells good business for paint manufactures, painters and plate manufacturers.

There are 8 million cars on Indian roads and 25 million two-wheelers. So for a total of 33 million vehicles, there will be 66 million new plates. There are 3 million commercial vehicles, which have to have four number-plates: in the front, rear and on either side. i.e. 12 million plates. A total of 78 million plates will be changed!

If you had the traditional black background number-plate and the letters were in white reflective tape, there is a quick and inexpensive way for you to effect the change over.

In the accompanying photos, the top photos shows the reflective white tape stuck on to the black plate (old style). Take the plate off and spray white paint on it. Let it dry completely and simply peel off the reflective tape and you have black letters on a white background (lower photograph).

White seems to be a popular colour for some manufacturers and for owners of white cars, the new regulations would be simple to comply with. In a lot of cars, the number-plate covers the paint work. Remove the plate, and restore the paint work, for there is usually rust under the plate of your car. Now write in black directly on the body of the car. This is a tremendous safety feature. In case the car gets stolen, it won’t be easy to change this number. A number-plate can easily be removed and changed.

In case the number-plates are mounted on the bumpers, then a complete repaint job of the plates will be required.

The size of the plates should be 11cm x 45cm for front and rear. In some cases (the old Ambys), it should be 36cm x22cm. Not all plates available in the market conform to these sizes. It is the size of the lettering that is important. Height of the letters should be 6.5cm (2½ inches) and the thickness of the writing should be 10cm (just under ½"). The number-plate should be easy to decipher from a distance. Fancy writing, jumbled up closely won’t do. And the writing has to be in English. Local languages are not acceptable.

Get the work done now. You have plenty of time.

Happy motoring!