‘Unauthorised’ plates

RECENTLY, Lahore traffic wardens were empowered to initiate

strict legal action against violators of the Motor Vehicles
Ordinance 97-A pertaining to fabricated vehicle number plates.
The police were directed to lodge FIRs against those using
outdated, and therefore unauthorised, plates, subjecting the
‘guilty’ ones to a possible prison term of up to two years and a
fine of up to Rs200,000. Subsequently, the Lahore traffic police,
in collaboration with the Punjab Excise, Taxation, & Narcotics
Control Department, launched a massive crackdown, leaving
motorists in fear.

Indeed, all licence plate holders must follow the rules. But, as
always, the devil lies in the detail. As it turns out, 2.1m
applications are pending with the ET&NC for the newer,
regularised number plates — a fact admitted to by the body’s
director general. Some of the applicants have been waiting
since 2019 for this proof of registration. Meanwhile, the excise
department’s coffers have swelled by some Rs1.5bn in advance
fees paid by the applicants. This is absurd — the fines so far
levied have been mainly on the low side but the heaviest penalty
prescribed is appalling. The DG offered a curious solution to
motorists: that frustrated applicants could have number plates
manufactured to mimic the authorised ones. This, while those
culpable of more serious offences, particularly in Karachi, such
as driving in cars with number plates that are unreadable, fancy
or inscribed with AFR (applied for registration) ply our roads
with impunity. Many such vehicle owners have sufficient clout to
escape the clutches of the law. Such number plates are used to
avoid paying tax. And in the case of hit-and-run accidents, fake
registration plates make it almost impossible to identify the
culprits. Traffic authorities need to set their priorities straight,
and stop penalising those who are still waiting to receive their
number plates. It is regrettable that those who are trying to
follow the law are being targeted for no fault of their own while
those driving around with illegal number plates fly under the
radar.

Published in Dawn, February 7th, 2022