KABUL -- Afghan Vice President Amrullah Saleh says license plates containing the number "39" will be retired because, the figure, associated with pimping and prostitution, has become a source of bribery for traffic officials.
Saleh announced on January 14 that a decree to that effect will be introduced this week.
"It is said that people pay bribes of up to $300 to avoid the number," he said in a Facebook post.
Afghan car owners complain that they have resorted to paying bribes to avoid being issued license plates with “39” and that vehicles with the "shameful" digits would not easily find buyers.
The origin of the meaning of "39" is said be linked to a notorious pimp in the western Afghan city of Herat, whose car registration plate contained the number, according to the AFP news agency.
