Dept staff, police told not to act against applied-for, un-transferred vehicles

due to coronavirus threat ISLAMABAD: The Excise and Taxation department is introducing an app for capital residents to register and transfer their vehicles from home.

In addition, directives have been issued to the department’s staff and to police not to act against applied-for registration and un-transferred vehicles until further orders.

Excise and Taxation Director BilalAzam told Dawn that the application and all the arrangements in this regard are in the final stages and it will hopefully become operational by next week.

He said vehicle owners will submit their and their vehicle’s details on the application. The owner can also call the department and give a time for a physical inspection of the vehicle and its documents at home.

Department staff will visit the house and deliver a registration plate to the owner after the inspection, he said, adding that the registration fee can also be submitted online or at a bank.

Mr Azam said the department has also taken measures to protect residents visiting the department as well as its officials from the novel coronavirus.

He said that while there is a standard operating procedure for vehicle owners to have their vehicles registered at the local Excise and Taxation department, in the wake of the coronavirus alertstaff and police were directed not to take action against applied-for registration and un-transferred vehicles.

This relaxation has been given to vehicle owners who have bought new or secondhand vehicles so they may drive them without registration or transfer until the situation dies down.

At the department, he said, people have to sanitise their hands before giving a thumb impression, and the machine is sanitised as well.

Orders were also issued to extend the validity of biometric verification receipts. These receipts are valid for two months, but those that expired on or before March 1 will be deemed valid until June 6, he said.

Approximately 3,000 people visit the Excise and Taxation department every day.

Separately, the Islamabad Traffic Police (ITP) have slowed down the issuance of driving licences as part of their coronavirus precautionary efforts, police officers said. The ITP are also considering extending the validity of expiring driving licences, including learners permits until June.

The relaxation has been given to people whose licences expired in the last six months and were not renewed. Learners’ permits that expired in March may also be extended to June, they said. After making a decision on the matter, the ITP may also stop issuing licences.

Approximately a thousand people visit ITP offices for new licences or renewal, the officers said.

The issuance of licences has slowed down and only 150 to 200 people who needed licences for important or urgent business were entertained on Wednesday.

A situation was created with some individuals who refused to leave, the officers said, but they later left.

They added that ITP officials equipped with a temperature gun have been deployed at the entrance to check visitors.

Published in Dawn, March 19th, 2020