RAWALPINDI: The Punjab government is going to introduce new system of vehicles registration from next month which will not only discourage forged and applied-for number plates but streamline the whole process of registration.

This was stated by the senior member chief minister’s special monitoring unit (law and order), Salman Sufi, while addressing a gathering at Rawalpindi Gymkhana.

Computerised Dealer Vehicle Registration System (DVRS) will also help eliminate corruption and use of vehicles with fake number plates in acts of terrorism. “DVRS will also help eliminate the tendency of late registration of vehicle and evasion of motor vehicle tax,” he said.

Salman Sufi said that last year about 1.6 million people got their vehicles and motorcycles registered in Punjab after queuing up for several hours outside the registration offices and paying agents.

He said that under the DVRS, number plates of vehicles would be provided by the dealers who would deposit registration fee and number plate fee in National Bank themselves and would maintain record of vehicles by computerising themselves and the approved number plates would be provided to purchasers/owner of the vehicles/motorcycles.

“These dealers would be given dealership/licenses for provision of number plates to vehicle owners. Under this programme, Punjab government would register dealers who would be allowed to sale and purchase vehicles,” he said.

Director Excise & Taxation Tanveer Gondal said that DVRS system would help strengthen the registration system of the vehicle. The dealer would charge Rs2,000 fee for a vehicle and Rs500 for a motorcycle from the customer and would issue number plate.

He said under the new system, the universal number plate would also be provided in shape of computerized card which will have all record of the sale and purchase of the vehicles.

He said that under the new system, corruption free and safe procedure of sale and purchase of the vehicle would be introduced in Punjab and all problems faced by the citizens in registration of vehicles would be eliminated.

Published in Dawn, July 23rd, 2016