PESHAWAR, Nov 30: Motorcyclists have complained of long delays in issuance of registration books by the excise and taxation office in the city and said they were bothered by police at checkpoints due to absence of motorcycle/vehicle documents.

Ajab Khan, resident of Bara tehsil of Khyber Agency, told Dawn on Wednesday that he applied for registration of his motorcycle long ago but had been struggling to get the registration certificate from the excise office for over a year.

“Officials are employing delaying tactics in registering my motorcycle, while police pester me to see motorcycle without registration book and computerised number plate. I'm stressed out and don't know what to do,” he said outside the information centre of the excise and taxation office.

He said he had been told to show up after two months to collect registration book.

Mr Ajab, however, wasn't certain whether the sought-after document would be ready in January as he said earlier promises by officials about it had already proved false.

He said traveling all the way from his refrigerator repairing shop to the excise and taxation office wasted his time and money.

Yahya Khan, another motorcyclist present there, complained that he had been driven from pillar to post for more than eight months for registration book of his motorcycle.

He said in absence of registration book, he had to bribe police to keep riding the motorcycle.

“The excise office has stamped the motorcycle's documents to let me ride until the issuance of registration book but by and large, police don't accept it and pester me,” he said.

Amjid Ali, a local, said he had applied for his motorcycle's registration book on January 14 last year and got it a few days ago after many visits to the excise and taxation office.

When contacted, director (administration) excise and taxation office Kabir Afridi blamed delayed issuance of registration books to people on the motorcycle manufactures, saying they took a lot of time in confirming the documents.

He said his office was bound to get the motorcycle or car documents verified by their manufacturers before their registration, adding that under the rules, the verification exercise was to be completed within 15 days.

“Usually, they don't verify documents within the stipulated time.

They do the needful only after we issue them many reminders,” he claimed.

Sources in the office, however, contested the claim and said the relevant officials didn't pursue external verification of motorcycle documents.