LAHORE: The crackdown on privately made number plates, which have recently been declared illegal, began here on Wednesday from the GOR-I where top government officials and judges live, and which houses the secretariat of the chief minister, issuing notices to over 300 government officials driving vehicles bearing such number plates.

The crackdown was launched from the elite government colony to send a message to every one that no leniency would be shown to those not obtaining the now mandatory officially approved number plates of vehicles, said Salman Sufi whose Special Monitoring Unit on Law and Order has worked to check the usage of privately made plates on vehicles.

The crackdown was spearheaded by the SMU, the excise department and GOR’s Security Division. It is a part of Transport Sahulat programme designed to facilitate the implementation of National Action Plan (NAP).

It will be expanded first to Lahore and then to the entire province.

According to officials, over 300 notices were issued to the owners of governmental as well as non-governmental vehicles bearing the now illegal plates. These vehicles were reportedly being used by government officers, chief minister’s secretariat, judges, chief secretary’s and IGP’s houses.

Those using the vehicles were given 30 days to obtain the official number plates, or face action under the law.

Officials said people would be given sufficient time to get registered and get their number plates from the excise and taxation offices, or Dealers Vehicle Registration System authorised dealers, following which impounding of the defaulting vehicles would begin.

Published in Dawn, August 25th, 2016