KARACHI: Over 150 people were fined on the first day of a drive against vehicles with fancy or illegal number plates and drivers without licences, officials said.

A police spokesperson said that the city traffic police, district police, the Excise Department, and the Anti-Vehicle Lifting Cell on Wednesday initiated a joint checking drive to ensure effective action against private, fancy and unauthorised number plates, as well as driving without a licence.

DIG Traffic Pir Mohammad Shah told Dawn that the campaign would continue for a month to bring about a change in citizens’ attitudes towards traffic rules.

He said that a two-hour campaign would be conducted daily across the metropolis at various points. He added that at least eight points — one in each district — would be selected for the implementation of traffic laws.

On Wednesday, DIG Shah and other senior officers visited different areas to assess the ongoing action against traffic law violations and issued necessary directions.

During the drive, 33 challans were issued against vehicles without number plates, 51 fines were imposed for fancy number plates, and 80 fines were issued for allegedly obscuring number plates.

The Karachi police have urged citizens to obtain authorised number plates and comply with traffic rules to avoid inconvenience.

Meanwhile, during the drive, an underage driver who was driving a car with a fancy number plate was stopped by the police, reportedly in the presence of the DIG Traffic, but he managed to escape by speeding away.

DIG Shah said the teenager panicked and fled. He added that a case was later registered in connection with the incident.

The case was registered under Section 279 (rash or negligent driving) of the Pakistan Penal Code at the Frere police station on the complaint of ASI Akhtar Zaman.

Published in Dawn, April 2th, 2026