LAHORE: The number of unregistered and tax defaulting vehicles seems to be on the rise in the provincial capital as recent special road campaign involving action against around 3,600 vehicles only in five days shows ‘weak’ law enforcement on roads.

Joint teams of the Punjab Excise and Taxation department and the Lahore police constituted on Oct 2 have set up 50 check points in Lahore division, checked 33,693 vehicles and impounded 121 from Oct 3 to 8.

The joint exercise, which will take place for about two weeks, also followed the Sept 30 deadline for token tax defaulters who were given time relaxation to file the levy.

Excise, police joint teams have impounded 121 vehicles from Oct 3 to 8

As many as 72 vehicles were found unregistered and 3,422 were issued fine tickets over different violations.

The E&T officials issued warning to 7,621 vehicles and motorcycles against use of unauthorised number plates besides issuing 1,086 stickers to vehicle owners during the exercise.

Sources privy to the exercise told Dawn on Thursday that the estimated amount of token tax collection against vehicles checked in four days was Rs23.102 million and the sum would further increase in days to come.

They said the amount suggested that the motorists had developed tendency to violate voluntarily compliance and 10 per cent rebate offer and now forced compliance was becoming a regular feature to collect token tax.

Sources said it was expected that token tax defaulters would submit their dues in up to 10 working days and those who still showed reluctance would have to face penalties.

They said it had been generally observed that the numbers of unregistered motorcycles were much more outside Lahore while a considerable number of unregistered vehicles were plying in the provincial capital as compared to other districts of the province.

E&T Director General Akram Ashraf Gondal said: “Fifty joint points in the provincial capital is the first such major exercise involving the E&T department, the Anti-Vehicle Lifting Staff and the City Traffic Police which is aimed at collecting tax from defaulters and checking suspicious and unregistered vehicles keeping in view the law and order situation of the country.”

He said the department would make efforts to extend the scope of joint checking in other districts of Punjab and added that the first phase was successfully continuing with the maximum cooperation of Lahore police.

Gondal said the major violation on city roads related to use of unauthorised number plates by motorists “but field staff is just issuing warning in first joint campaign.”

Published in Dawn, October 10th, 2015

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