Tow-away vehicles flout norms

Manmeet Gill

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, February 10

In a clear violation of the laws, vehicles engaged by the traffic police through a private contractor to tow away cars parked at roadsides are running without valid registration numbers from the District Transport Office.

A towing vehicle of Tata make bearing a number plate with a ‘temporary’ number PB 02 BX 4407 can often be spotted transporting vehicles in the Hall Bazaar area.

As per a notification of the state government, vehicles with temporary registration numbers are not allowed on the road any more. At the time of the sale of the vehicle, the customer has to pay the registration fee and it is mandatory for the dealer to get the vehicle registered with the transport office within one month of the sale.

As per rules, prior to January 2015, the temporary number had a validity of one month only during which the individual had to get the permanent Registration Certificate (RC) issued. However, with the state government issuing new directions, it is issued at the time of the purchase. The buyer is also issued a provisional RC and after the completion of the process, the owner is provided with a permanent RC for the same number issued at the time of purchase.

Sources in the transport office stated that in the absence of a permanent registration number, it becomes difficult to trace it, even if it is involved in a hit-and-run case, as the victim does not know the registration number of the other vehicle. As per the Motor Vehicles rules, any such vehicle can be issued a challan of Rs 5,000 in the first instance and can be impounded in the second instance.

District Transport Officer Kanwaljit Singh said certain categories of vehicles have been exempted from carrying a permanent registration number from the day one. However, he added that he cannot tell off hand which categories have been exempted.