DUSHANBE, June 18, 2012, Asia-Plus -- 149 license plates will be put on auction that will take place in Dushanbe on June 30, an official source at the Interior Ministry traffic police directorate told Asia-Plus Monday afternoon.

The following so-called vanity license plates of the serial number of AR 01 will be put on the auction: 1001; 1100; 1212; 1221; 1300; 1313; 1331; 1400; 1441; 1500; 1515; 1551; 1600; 1616; 1661; 1700; 1717; 1771; 1800; 1818; 1900; 1919; 1991; 2000; 2002; 2020; 2100; 2112; 2121; 2200; 2222; 2300; 2332; 2400; 2424; 2442; 2500; 2525; 2552; 2600; 2626; 2662; 2700; 2727; 2772; 2800; 2882; 2929; 2992; 3000; 3003; 3030; 3100; 3113; 3131; 3200; 3223; 3232; 3300; 3333; 3400; 3434; 3443; 3500; 3535; 3553; 3600; 3636; 3663; 3700; 3737; 3773; 3800; 3838; 3883; 3900; 3939; 3993; 4000; 4004; 4040; 4100; 4114; 4141; 4200; 4224; 4242; 4300; 4334; 4343; 4400; 4444; 4500; 4545; 4554; 4600; 4646; 4664; 4700; 4747; 4774; 4800; 4848; 4884; 4900; 4949; 4994; 5000; 5005; 5100; 5115; 5151; 5200; 5225; 5252; 5300; 5335; 5353; 5400; 5445; 5454; 5555; 5600; 5656; 5665; 5700; 5757; 5775; 5800; 5858; 5885; 5900; 5959; 5995; 6000; 6006; 6060; 6100; 6116; 6161; 6200; 6226; 6262; 6300; 6336; 6363; 6400; 6446; 6464; 6500; 6556; 6565; 6600; 6666; 6700; 6767; 6776; 6800; 6868; 6886; 6900; 6969; 6996; 0707; 0022; 0090.

Besides the license plate of the serial number of AN 01 – 7070; 8800; and 9900 – will be put on the auction, the source said, adding that the opening bid for each of the number plates will be set at 270.00 somoni.

We will recall that the latest number plate auction was held in Dushanbe on May 30 this year.  This auction, selling “cool” license plates for cars, set the record: “0101 AR (01)” was sold for 55,000 somoni (equivalent to more than 11,300 U.S. dollars).

Tajik authorities began selling vanity license plates in March 2010: “0100” was sold for 40,000 somoni or $9100 ($1=4.36 somoni) and “0707” was sold for 6500 somoni, while “0202” and “0808” were sold for 3600 somoni each.

52 vanity license plates for cars were sold at the number plate auction that took place in Dushanbe in November 2011.  “0101” was sold for 10,000 somoni or 2,100 US dollars and “1000” was sold for 8,000 somoni (US$1,680).  Prices of ten other license plates fluctuated from 500.00 to 1,000 US dollars, while “0066” and “2200” were sold for 350 somoni or US$73.00 each.    

 In all, seventeen number plate auctions have been held in Tajikistan since March 2010.  311 vanity number plates for a total amount of 313,178 somoni (some US$66,000) were sold in 2010 and 505 “cool” license plates for a total amount of 540,239 somoni (equivalent to some US$113,734) were sold in 2011.

Numbers are important in Tajikistan, where the right one can earn you a salute from the country''s traffic policemen.