Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, Oct 17: The police have now started to examine number plates of vehicles moving in and around the city. They have been levying hefty fines on vehicles found to be having number plates which do not conform to the standards stipulated in transport rules. As per information gathered from police department, 4,690 such cases were registered and fine of Rs 4.69 lac was collected between January and September relating to such offences this year.

While there are rules and regulations about the size of the number plate, size of the letters appearing therein, colour outlay etc, many seem to think that they can display number plates of fancy sizes containing strange letters that often do not conform to stipulations prescribed by the government. Motor Vehicles Act clearly stipulates the conditions to be fulfilled when preparing and displaying number plates of vehicles including two, three, four wheelers and other vehicles. Not only that, display of fake or wrong number plates too will attract fine. One of the rules is that the number plats should not have any extraneous matter like stickers, pictures of gods, name, additional letters or symbols other than registration number.

The letters appearing in the number plates should be in specific format and size. There should be a gap of a centimeter between two letters and the size of each letter should be one centimeter. The number plates need to be in English and enough lighting should be provided so that the plates can be read at night. The number should be written in two lines in the back and a single line in the front, it is learnt.

The officials of regional transport department admit that the menace of fake number plates has been increasing in the city of late. Recently the officials of the transport department impounded a vehicle bearing a fake number of PY series. Although the car was registered in Pondicherry, it was moving around in the city. After the officials checked the records, they found that the number plate was stolen one and it actually belongs to a two-wheeler. The vehicle was also under the scanner of Corps of Detectives, an official said.

Although display of registration number in Kannada is permitted, additionally the plates should also display the number in English letters. Number plates other than those belonging to corporations, boards, and government departments, number plates of other vehicles cannot bear the name of the concern or organizations on the number plates, officials stated. Regional transport officer here, G S Hegde, said that the problem of fake and defective number plates has been on the increase in the city. He felt that the penalty prescribed by law is too low now and felt that the law needs to be strengthened and fine amount should be steeply hiked.