LAHORE: Following the conclusion of a 15-day awareness campaign on March 20, the Punjab Excise, Taxation and Narcotics Control Department (ETNCD) in association with the National Highways and Motorway Police (NH&MP) is likely to launch a crackdown on vehicles carrying unauthorised number plates.

According to ETNCD, approximately 200,000 vehicles and up to three million motorcycles with unauthorised number plates and non-registered status are plying on roads in Punjab.

The NH&MP Islamabad inspector general was approached by the Punjab ETNCD secretary office on Feb 10, 2017 for initiation of an awareness campaign for 15 days against unauthorised number plates in nation-wide zones of highways and motorways.

Unauthorised number plates will be disposed of

In a letter issued to all NH&MP field formations on March 2, the motorway DIG (operations and evaluation) states: “The unregistered vehicles are not allowed to ply on the national highways and motorways and the point may be reinforced through the field formations in the light of the provisions of NHSO-2000 under offence code B-51. It is, therefore, requested that a 15-day awareness campaign against the use of unauthorised number plates and enforcement campaign against the use of unregistered vehicles may be launched between March 6 and 20 in all zones to curb the practice.”

Official statistics as of March 20 available with Dawn show that NH&MP field formations have so far imparted awareness briefings to as many as 6,156 vehicles and issued 1,433 fine tickets to unregistered vehicles.

Similarly, officials also imparted awareness briefings to as many as 2,198 vehicles, issued fine tickets to 256 vehicles in violation of non-registration and returned 57 vehicles from the motorway during the campaign period on M-II South, M-3 and M-4.

NH&MP spokesman Syed Imran Shah says the campaign was covered by adopting random checking and active vigilance on roads and monitoring vehicles at toll plazas.

He says the authorities are still considering two options - either running the campaign for further 15 days or starting crackdown.

The spokesman says the awareness campaign included banners, pamphlets and use of mobile education units.

ENTCD Additional Director General Masoodul Haq, who is supervising the campaign, says he has issued directions to all regional directors to coordinate with NH&MP officers for joint operations on motorways for launching a full-scale crackdown.The ADG says this is for the first time that the NH&MP has been taken on board, adding the department is also considering a similar action against two-wheelers which remained the weaker area in the past.

Published in Dawn, March 22nd, 2017