DUSHANBE, January 5, 2015, Asia-Plus -- 82 license plates will be put on auction that will take place in Dushanbe on January 10, an official source at the Interior Ministry traffic police directorate told Asia-Plus in an interview.

The following so-called vanity license plates of the serial number of DD 01 will be put on the auction: 0011, 0015, 0020, 0022, 0030, 0033, 0040, 0044, 0050, 0055, 0060, 0070, 0077, 0080, 0088, 0090, 0099, 0100, 0101, 0110, 0200, 0202, 0220, 0300, 0330, 0303, 0400, 0404, 0440, 0500, 0505, 0550, 0600, 0606, 0700, 0707, 0770, 0800, 0808, 0880, 0900, 0909, 0990, 1001, 1010, 1100, 1111, 2000, 2002, 2020, 2200, 2222, 3000, 3003, 3030, 3333, 4400, 4004, 4040, 4444, 5000, 5005, 5050, 5500, 5555, 6000, 6060, 6161, 6666, 7070, 7007, 7171, 7700, 8000, 8008, 8080, 8800, 9000, 9009, 9090, 9999, 9900.

“The opening bid for each of the number plates will be set at 414.00 somoni,” the source said.  He justified the high bid by saying that number plates are now provided with chips  

We will recall that the latest number plate auction was held in Dushanbe in October last year and the opening bid for each of the number plates was set at 381.00 somoni.

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.

The auction, selling “cool” license plates for cars, which was held on May 30, 2012 set the record: 0101 AR (01)” was sold for 55,000 somoni (equivalent to more than 11,300 U.S. dollars).

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